Fates of Love
by BigHead
Summary: Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.
1. Chapter 1

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, might go up later.

**Author's Notes: **This is me, trying to play with a different style of writing than what I'm accustomed to, but I had to try it. Tell me what you people think, okay?

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

_Metropolis_

It all started with a bucket of paint, a broken ATM card and a Friday afternoon.

Five years after Sunnydale had sunk, things were greatly different. His time as a Slayer hunter in the African savannah was long gone, his tentative start as a Watcher as well. He now worked as the official Facilities Manager for the Council, but he had to agree that the title made no justice to what he truly did. With so many Slayers around and so many places to keep a look on, he now acted as the first man on a prospective site, scouting locations good enough to assemble a school for 'special girls' or perhaps just a new office for a company specialized in 'art appraisal', as the cover stories said. He could only overview the renovations, but he had always been a man of the 'hands on' approach, but said 'hands on' caused a small accident involving his wallet and a bucket full of paint landing right on top of it, thus smashing all of his cards.

Being a Friday afternoon, it meant spending the weekend with twelve dollars and fifty two cents in his pocket or going to the bank to withdraw some money from his account.

So, acting on his famed courage, Xander sighed for the tenth time, while dodging the mass of people on his way to the bank

He entered the posh lobby, the security guard eyeing him with a hint of apprehension. The SoCal native had grown accustomed to the reactions his eye patch gave to some people, but untrained and _armed_ people were sometimes stupid, so he decided to play cool and approached the man.

"Don't worry, I liked the pirate look way too much when I was a kid," he said with his lopsided grin in place. The security officer smiled slightly, the one-eyed foreman noticed the tension disappearing from the man's body as if by magic.

He entered the bank proper and got in line, a _very_ long line. He drew his checkbook and patted himself for a pen, finding none. Sighing once again while internally cursing his luck, he got out of the line of people and approached one of the counters, to use one of the chained pens.

He started writing the check, when the over-used pen decided to add to his misery, the tip breaking and the ink started blotting the book.

And then Xander did the stupidest thing that he could at the moment. He would later blame his anger and annoyance, but as a survivor of Sunnydale, he had learned that you had to act like a Jedi under some circumstances or feel the wrath of the Dark Side.

"What else can go wrong?" he muttered, but as soon as he did, Xander noticed exactly what he had said and groaned, head snapping up, looking to all sides.

The front door exploded, admitting something resembling a tank walking on two feet, plus another five men with guns coming out of a sci-fi movie.

"Oh, great."

* * *

It was the classical bank robbery, with classical threats and classical screaming. The only thing non-classical was the armored thug ripping the vault's door open as if it was made of paper. Xander actually smiled, he had seen his fair share of incredible things since he had learned that Buffy was the Slayer, but that rated far high in the list.

The one-eyed man sighed, if things were different, this could probably end peacefully, but the morons decided to attack _this _particulartown, in bright daylight, making as much noise as they possibly could.

At least they were smart enough to not try it in Gotham. The thought actually brought a smile to Xander's face, and that, he realized, was another mistake.

One of the masked thugs saw him smile.

"What's so damned funny, cyclops?" the man said, pointing the futuristic-looking gun in is direction. Xander had been threatened by things _way _worse than a moron with a gun, so he wasn't as scared as the man expected him to be.

"You know," he replied in a calm voice "I think you didn't plan this thing through, cause, y'know, Superman hears things really _really_ good, and you boys weren't exactly silent."

The brunette noticed that, while he couldn't see the man's mouth, it was clear that the guy was smiling.

"Oh, yeah, we planned this through, and we knew that he could appear. That's why we came _prepared," _he said, and removed a pendant from inside his shirt. A pendant with a green stone attached.

_Kryptonite._

"Oh, shit," Xander cursed, blaming his big mouth once again.

"What if your enemy isn't Superman?"

* * *

"What if your enemy isn't Superman?" a strong and very feminine voice echoed in the mostly silent room, drawing everyone's attention to the entrance.

Xander Harris had grown quite accustomed with strong feminine people, after all his best friend in the entire world were bona-fide super-heroes of the opposite sex variety, but nothing in this world would have prepared him for _her_.

She was beautiful, more beautiful than any other woman he had seen, holding herself with an air of someone who knew exactly who she was and what she was capable of. He knew what she was thinking about, because he had seen the same look in Buffy's face every once in a while. Two silver bands in her forearm, a golden lasso on her hip, the tiara, the armor, they all reflected the light from both the sun entering the large windows and the artificial lights attached to the ceiling, but they all paled in comparison to the fire burning behind those ice blue eyes.

_Wonder Woman_.

"Stop right now and lower your weapons, and no one will be harmed," she said in a tone that held no room for an argument.

The armed robbers, really not having planned on having _her_ as a contingency, did the exactly stupid thing it was expected of them, meaning opening fire on her. Faster than any untrained eye could follow, she deflected two of the bolts with her enchanted bracelets, one of them flying straight back to one of the robbers, putting him out of commission. She moved forward and grabbed one of the marble counters, and using it as both a shield and as a battering ram, removed two more threats.

That's when the man using the powered armor decided to join the fight. Using the power of the servo-motors, he grabbed the vault door and threw it as a huge Frisbee.

Xander yelled "EVERYBODY DOWN!" and everyone ducked their heads, with the exception of the super heroine and the armored man. The metal door flew true, but instead of dodging the incoming missile, Wonder Woman hit it with both fists in a downward arc right at the edge of the spinning door. Momentum made the door flip like a huge coin as if she was making a head or tails game. It climbed a few meters while spinning, and landed right behind her. One of the robbers still standing, after seeing her do that, let go of his weapon and kicked it away, raising his arms in surrender.

Diana hoped the armored one would do the same, but she had no such luck. She had to finish this, and fast. Using the fabled Magic Lasso, she snagged one of the arms and pulled with all her might. Instead of breaking at the shoulder joint, the armor came as well, going airborne for a few seconds. The man inside screamed, his visor showing clearly the deceptive small hand cocking itself for a punch.

The powered armor flew back, sparks covering the entire brown painted frame. People still had their heads lowered since the door's incident, so no one got hurt, with the exception of the armor pilot, who slumped unconscious when the armor entered more than four inches into the vault's side wall.

* * *

Xander was the first to stand back up, while Wonder Woman looked around while recoiling her lasso. She distracted herself for a mere second, and it was more than enough for the last thug, who had hid himself behind a pillar, to try and save his own ass, meaning finish the job his associates tried to do. He started raising his weapon and Xander noticed that Wonder Woman was looking away from the threat. The one-eyed man did what was ingrained in his subconscious, save someone in danger at his own personal risk, and he jumped at Diana, while the man pressed the trigger.

Time slowed down for the ex-demon hunter, his only worry being reaching her on time. Wonder Woman was unprepared for such an action, so when Xander hit her right on, she almost fell to the floor. It was enough for the concussion blast to miss her, but it clipped his side, making him be thrown five feet back, landing in a heap.

He lost consciousness immediately.

* * *

Xander woke up with a small groan, but instead of cold marble at his back, he felt the softness of a mattress, and the pain he had felt previously at his side had been replaced by a feeling of tightness. The smell was also a dead giveaway.

Hospital room.

"Oh, God. Not again," he mumbled. There was just another person at the room, and with his still blurred vision, he didn't recognize who was, except that it appeared to be a woman.

"Your friends missed you for about fifteen minutes," she said, and Xander recognized the voice.

"Princess Diana," he said formally. "Not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but what you're doing here?" he asked, while his vision got back into focus. She was wearing a simple white t-shirt, hair in a ponytail and jeans, and he could say that she seemed to be even more beautiful than in her normal attire.

"I wished to see how you were faring, I came here every day since you saved me, and I consider myself lucky in seeing you awake for the first time since your ordeal," she said, approaching the bed.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?" she asked slightly surprised.

"Most of it, yeah, but last memory I have is seeing a thug pointing one of those Terminator rifles in your direction," he said, while attempting to sit back instead of lying down. Diana helped him, and he noticed she had amazingly soft hands from the brief contact. Once he was comfortable, he thanked her.

"Well, young Alexander, you actually saved my life. The concussion shot that grazed you would almost certainly kill me if it caught me fully. Instead, you managed to take me out of harm's way at your own personal risk. For this, I'm eternally indebted to you," she said with so much seriousness that he gulped, while shaking his head.

"Oh, no. No life debt things. I don't want to own any favors from anyone, Princess," he said, shaking his head all the time. "No offense."

"None taken. But I come from an old culture, where those things are not taken lightly. I couldn't accept your rebuttal, even if I agreed with it, which I don't. You _saved_ my life, Alexander."

Xander sighed. "Please, don't call me Alexander, Princess. I prefer Xander," he said, and he detected something in Wonder Woman's eyes. Surprise, maybe?

"Alexander is much more fitting, Protector of Man. It suits you perfectly," she said with a small smile. "However, I agree. Xander it shall be, but only on two conditions. One, you call me Diana, and two, you accept my gratitude and my offering of a debt in the old terms."

"No can do, Princess," he heartily shook his head. It didn't bode well for his health, since it started pounding. "Ouch, remind me to not move my head, at all. Brain's loose inside of it," Xander replied, and he saw a small smile crease Diana's classically beautiful features. "I'm just a guy who did the right thing at the right time, and I ain't no super hero. I don't want you worrying about simple old me while saving the world, okay?"

"That's where you are wrong, Alexander, I worry about you and everyone else while I'm saving the world, as you said. And what you did tells me you're everything else but simple, so don't diminish your actions for no reason."

He just lowered his head deep in thought. "Let's reach an agreement, then? I call upon my life debt now, as set in the old terms. I, Alexander Lavelle Harris, release Diana, Princess of Themyscira of her life debt, on the agreement of going for a cup of coffee once I'm free from this damned hospital."

* * *

Diana was deeply surprised. How did that young man know the terms of a life debt invocation? According to the old laws, he could have asked her for nearly anything and she would be bound to agree, and all he asked was for a cup of coffee?

She was no detective like Bruce, but Alex…Xander intrigued her. A lot.

And she hated unanswered questions. So, she smiled and extended her hand. "Agreed. But only if you call me Diana. And it will be, as you Americans say, my treat."

Xander shook the hand, surprised with her acceptance. "And I'm Xander."


	2. Chapter 2

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, might go up later.

**Author's Notes: **This is me, trying to play with a different style of writing than what I'm accustomed to, but I had to try it. Tell me what you people think, okay?

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

They Kissed.

Major K.

Matter of fact, Xander realized they were still kissing. It wasn't a ravenous, hungry-filled, pre-sex kiss, but it was a Kiss nonetheless. One of the best ones of his entire life, he gathered.

He started losing himself in that kiss, like a teenager he hadn't been for a good while. Remembering...

* * *

"So, what a superhero does when she's not doing super-heroic things?" he said with a smile after they sat down for their life debt coffee. Surprisingly, the conversation flew more naturally than they both expected. It was a week after Xander's release from the hospital, and they had met near his rented apartment. Diana was dressed casually, and if it weren't for her bracelets, her worldwide famous face and Xander's eye patch, they could easily pass for two normal humans on a stroll through Metropolis.

"They go out for a coffee with friends?" Diana said with a smile. Xander replied with a smile of his own.

"Point. But I don't see Batman sitting down for a coffee with cookies. Could you imagine the waitress attending Mr. Mood-In-A-Bat-Suit?"

That elicited a giggle from her. "He's pretty normal once he's off the suit. We all are, even with our powers. It's not the powers who define who we are, it is our actions."

"Preaching to the choir, Diana," Xander said, taking a small sip from his coffee.

"What do you mean by that?" Diana asked, sipping her own coffee.

Xander almost gulped, but years and years of being around super-powered hormonal and usually horny teenagers gave him a surprising ability to control his baser impulses and to think quick on his feet.

"Well, I saved you, apparently, and I can say I have no superpowers," he replied smoothly.

"True, and for that I thank you," Diana said.

"You're welcome," he said, and took another sip of his coffee. "Good coffee," he said.

"Thank you. Kal showed me this place once, and I try to visit once in a while."

"Kal?" Xander asked, intrigued.

"Superman's kryptonian name. Kal-El."

"Ah. I forgot," he said, sheepishly. "I've read a bit about you guys. I mean, who hasn't? But I just focused on some parts."

"Mine and Hawkgirl's measures?" Diana asked. Xander knew it was one of those tricky and very loaded questions. He could opt for a lie, but he had nothing to lose if he spoke the truth. Maybe only his bones intact if she got too angry with his answer.

"More or less, yeah. I mean, I'm a hot-blooded American male. Who would miss such facts?"

The princess of Themyscira laughed with his open honesty. He continued. "Actually, I read some other stuff, like, how old are you, really?"

"You shouldn't ask a lady such facts, Alexander," she mock-complained with a smile. Xander shook his finger at her.

"No-no, _Princess_. Xander, or I go back to call you 'Princess Diana of Themyscira' with all the pomp I can manage."

Diana laughed again. This young man was growing on her, in a very interesting way. He was funny, he apparently wasn't awed by her and he seemed quite smart.

"Well, _Xander_…" she continued,

"Much better," he said, with a smile.

"Well, Xander, let me just say I'm older than this country, and let's leave it at that."

The Scoobies founding father, not one to lose an opportunity like that, grabbed her hand and lifted her arm, looking her from all available angles.

"Well, you're well-kept for someone your age," he said, trying to look serious, but failing miserably. In all honesty, she didn't look a day older than maybe twenty six or so.

"XANDER!" she said, laughing, pulling her hand from his.

* * *

The coffee took the best part of a couple of hours and it could be longer, if Diana hadn't lifted her hand to her ear to listen to the League's communicator.

"I copy, Jo'nn, I'm on my way," she said, after a few moments listening. She looked to Xander, slightly saddened. "I have to go," she said, removing a few dollars from her pocket and leaving them on the table.

"I heard," Xander said, also saddened, but suddenly his eye got an interesting glimmer. "Ah," he started, slightly shaky. "I-I liked our talk v-very much a-and..."

"And?" she asked with a smile.

Xander took a deep breath.

"I'd like to invite you for dinner. It's not like a date or something, but I think I'd like to know you better, you know, like friends or something," he said in a fairly good imitation of Willow-babble, even with the glowing-red-as-a-tomato deal.

* * *

Diana's smile grew even larger. Xander might not be the typical male, but asking a beautiful woman out - especially Wonder Woman - would probably cause the same reaction in the entire world's male population.

She weighted the pros and cons of accepting such an invite and she realized that she had a unique opportunity. Being the so-called Wonder Woman meant carrying a huge weight on her back, trying to keep the world and sometimes even the entire universe from 'going down the drain'. That led to very few relaxing moments and even fewer friends. Her only friends in the world right now were the other Leaguers and their direct relationships, and they were too busy with their own lives to pay attention to her. Being an outcast of the island she was even away from her own family.

So, an offer of friendship, even one so awkward, was welcome. So, it came as a no surprise when she answered.

"I'd be delighted."

* * *

And the dinner was another event all unto itself, since they were surrounded by a group of kids who wanted Wonder Woman's autograph. Even Xander signed a paper or two in the mess.

More talk, more laughter, and this time, they traded contact info. Xander's mobile for Diana's JL personal, non-emergency contact number.

They parted ways with a promise to call each other.

And they did.

* * *

One month turned into two, then three, then six. They kept calling each other and meeting when their schedules allowed. Movies, some meals, a theatre, even some simple TV watching in his apartment.

Xander noticed a few interesting facts about her. She was as strong as they came, both in an out, but in some ways it really showed how much of a sheltered life she lived while growing in Themyscira.

They were photographed by some reporters, the gossip ran as it should, but after a brief interview to the Daily Planet set up by Diana herself, they were relegated to page nine, instead of front page.

Buffy, Willow and Dawn complained, he explained what was happening and they quieted as well, after some time.

But Xander had to admit, their relationship kept growing. But growing into what?

Then, the secrets came.

* * *

Xander, while not an active fighter anymore, still had his sense of responsibility. One night, going back to his apartment, he saved a young girl from a vampire. He killed the demon, but he got hurt in the process, and it wasn't something he could say happened at his job. Luck of lucks, Diana appeared at his doorstep a few hours later.

"Hello, Xan…What happened to you?" she asked as soon as she focused on his face.

Xander became guarded, but he couldn't outright lie to her.

"Look, Princess, I have a confession to make. I have a few secrets of my own that I can't reveal, they aren't mine to tell. So, if I say I can't answer that, I really can't. Do you understand me?"

Diana looked him straight in the eye. He was being fairly open, and she didn't need the lasso to tell he was telling the truth.

"I do. However, I want to know what happened with you. You need to go to a hospital, Xander."

"For a black eye and some scratches? No thanks," he said. It would be hell to do something the next morning with his remaing eye almost shut. "As for what happened, can we sit, please?"

Diana walked in, and sat down on his sofa, making herself comfortable. They had reached a level of comfort and freedom around each other that she didn't have with anyone else, even in the League. He went to his small kitchen and returned with two steaming cups, giving the one with the 'My Princess' written to Diana. He now had a few packs of herbs that when mixed would make the herbal tea she liked so much. He tried it once, but after tasting the sour drink, decided to keep on coffee, for friendship's sake. He sat in the same sofa, close to her.

After a few moments of strained silence, he sighed.

"You know, sometimes, life sucks," he said.

"I never knew you were a pessimist, Xander."

"Can't help it, Di," he said, calling her by the nickname he had fondly given her some time ago. "No after what I've seen and done."

Diana was a very intelligent woman, so she reached a conclusion in record time. "Your eye. It wasn't an 'accident at the job', was it?"

Xander lowered his head. "Yes, it was, from a certain point of view."

"What did you do for a living before, Xander?" she asked, suspicious.

Xander shook his head. "I can't tell you, Princess. Not right now, I need to ask some people for permission. As I said, not my secret to tell."

"You worked for the government?"

The ex-Watcher snorted. "No, nothing so…quaint."

"Xander…" she said in that tone that usually meant trouble for the Xand-Man.

"Look, Di, I can't. I'd like to, I'd really like to, but I gotta speak to some people first, okay? Please, trust me on this."

"Are you in danger?" she asked, now clearly worried.

"From them?" Xander asked, incredulously, and then smiled. "No, far from it, very far from it. They are family to me, Di. I love them as such, and they love me as such, so no danger from there. Except maybe some yelling, but all's good."

"That has to do with Mr. Giles and Buffy, right?" she pressed on.

The one-eyed man grimaced. "Nothing gets by you, does it? Look, give me tonight to talk to them and I'll talk to you, I promise."

Diana silenced for a moment. Xander had been completely honest with her the entire time they had known each other, she had to recognize it.

"Okay, I agree. For now."

"Good."

"Now, let's see what I can do about that eye."

* * *

Next morning, or what passed for morning in England, he called Giles. He could almost hear the glasses dissolving under the heavy cleaning, but in the end, the head of the Watcher's Council agreed to his pleading, with a few restrictions. Xander cut the call and immediately called her, and they agreed to meet that same night.

* * *

However, the next night didn't go as expected. Xander turned the TV on, and the news bulletin was showing the League facing another madman, this time a human one, who had access to a ton of very futuristic weapons. No actual live images, just a lot of background info and a few pictures of the man.

Suffice to say, he stayed awake the whole night waiting for more information.

* * *

He had fallen asleep on the couch in front of the TV when the sun was high in the sky, waking up again to the sound of some knocking on his door. Confused, he looked through the window to see it was night again, and the TV was still on, this time showing a movie of some sort. Standing up quickly, he walked to it, checking the eyehole, a big smile creasing his face when he realized who was on the other side.

He removed the locks and opened the door, still smiling.

"Look who's… what happened?" he asked going serious, as soon as he saw her face.

"Can… can I come in?" she asked in a small voice, so out of place on her that Xander became rooted on the spot, mouth open.

After a few moments more of this, Xander's brain reengaged, and he moved aside, a silent invitation for her to come in. She probably couldn't be turned, but old habits die hard.

"Thank you," she said, while he locked the door.

"Hey," he said, giving her a hug. She usually was a very reserved and private person, but with him the walls she had built to deal with all the outside pressures were almost all lowered so she could be simply Diana, the human being. That's why she hugged him back, still paying enough attention not to break or bruise any of his ribs. "Can I get you anything?" he asked in a low voice. Being of the same height didn't make things too cuddly for them, so Diana rested her head in his shoulder.

"Some tea would be good," she murmured.

"Sit down then, I'll make some for us and we'll talk, okay?" he said, gently nudging her in the direction of the sofa.

A few minutes later they were both nursing two cups of their preferred hot beverages, but the silence was stretching. Xander decided to act upon it.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked.

She sighed and looked up from her cup.

"I'm . . . old, Xander, you know that. I have been raised both as a princess and a warrior. I've learned a lot about the world of Men, how they behave, how they fight, how they go to war. I've faced a lot of battles in different worlds, I've killed to keep others safe, but I never thought I'd see what the human mind is capable of to win," she said, enraged.

"I always thought it was one of our most amazing characteristics," he said, clearly lost with her anger.

"It is, when you use it for good. When people use it for evil, it is the scariest thing you can possibly imagine," she replied.

"I know," he said saddened, remembering the past.

"You do?" she asked, surprised. "You'll tell me about your past?"

"I will, but first, let's talk about you. My past won't go anywhere, unfortunately," he answered.

She nodded. "We were called by the UN to fight against Daribia, it is a small country in Arabia. It has a centuries old story of internal war, their entire economy is mostly devoted to fuel this ongoing war. They exchanged government eight times in the last five years, Xander. They kept their fight inside their borders until two months ago. Somehow, someone from the outside decided to provide one side with advanced weaponry. _Very_ advanced weaponry. Once this side finished the opposition, they decided to keep expanding their borders and their war. That's when we were called."

It made sense, the Leaguers could end a large scale war in a mere day with minimal loss of life, if any.

"It went as we expected, until we reached the Presidential Palace. The 'presidential guard' had a surprise waiting for us," she said, clearly angered.

Xander sat closer to her, noticing her distress, his arm touching hers slightly, the touch bringing some comfort to the super-heroine.

"They had _children_ strapped to their bodies, Xander, acting as bulletproof vests. All of them," she continued. "And the President, the _bastard_, he ordered us to surrender by pointing a gun to the head of his own _daughter_!" she yelled, almost in the verge of tears.

The Sunnydaler's eye burned with an inner fire, this was worse than demons and vampires. They were _human beings_.

Or perhaps not.

"What happened?"

"Flash happened. He removed the children and then we could act. I almost ripped the president's head off, Xander. I came this close to doing it," she said, not really spreading her fingers.

"What held you? Or who?" he asked her, calmly.

"You aren't surprised?" Diana asked, dumbfounded.

"I know you and I know me, Di. No, I'm not surprised. I would have done it, but it isn't me we're talking about right now. What stopped you?"

"Batman," she said. "And myself."

"He told you what? It's not your way?"

"He actually didn't say a thing, but the look on his face was more than enough to make me stop. I know we're not the judges, Xander, but… but…"

"You're trying to reason now if you did the right thing or not."

She nodded, speechless. He regarded her stormy blue eyes, and stretched a hand to caress her chin.

"My opinion, you did. You are an amazing woman, Diana, one of the most incredible ones I've ever met. You're strong, brave, beautiful, and you have a nobility of spirit very few people have nowadays. I know you can break a man in half in self defense or put him in orbit by the same reason, but I know you're not a cold blooded murderer, no matter the reason or circumstances."

That served to break the dam that held her tears in check since the mission had ended a few hours ago. She hugged him and cried.

No one noticed a dark, human-shaped form detach itself from the window outside and disappear into the night.

* * *

She stopped crying a good while later. Once she noticed her actions and position, Diana separated.

"What happened?"

"I shouldn't have done this to you," she said, in her almost normal tone of voice.

"Done what?" he asked, confused.

"Release all of my problems on you," she said, formally, almost as an apology.

He smiled. She actually had no knowledge of friendships outside the Masked Wonders Club.

"Di, I'm here as your friend. It is in the Friend's Manual of The Non-Super-Powered Variety that we're here to ground you superdames and dudes, to not let you forget that, aside from all the flashy things you are able to do, you are still human, entitled to all of our weakness and strengths. Talking your fears and problems to me isn't going to make me think less of you, ever. Besides, I must say that in your place I wouldn't have had so much … restraint," he said, darkly.

The demi-goddess looked surprised, and Xander lowered his head.

"This is going to take some time to tell, and not all of it will be nice. I'm not proud of a few things that I … that we did, but it happened, and I can't change the past. Besides, once I finish, you might want to hit me, arrest me or at least leave and never come back, but I owe you the truth," Xander said, saddened.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you are my friend, and as much as I didn't want it to happen, I think our friendship is turning into… something else. Or at least for me, it is," he said. "So, I need you to know the truth, even if it is for us to remain friends."

And he started the tale of one Alexander Lavelle Harris.

* * *

Diana was floored.

She had no words to describe Xander Harris.

He was a Hero, that much was clear to see. And he also had a Darkness to himself, something that she knew had come from his years fighting the Supernatural. But what he _didn't _say, what she caught in between the lines, that painted the true Alexander Harris.

And, by the Gods, she wanted to know this Alexander. Remembering the beginning of their conversation, she decided upon a course of action, so atypical of her, but so in line with what she wanted to know about him.

She smiled, grabbed his face delicately between her hands and kissed him.

* * *

The Kiss ended with a breathless Xander and a smiling Diana of Themyscira.

The male's brain reengaged about three minutes later.

"Wow. I-I mean…wow," he said, still stunned. Diana smiled. "I-I guess that it means that you won't hit me," he said, the humor trying to hide his nervousness.

"No, and I won't arrest you. As for leaving and not coming back, that is definitely a no," she said with mirth in her eyes.

Xander sobered immediately. "Why me? Why this?" he said, hands moving to indicate them.

"Why you? Easy. Do you know how many people know so much about my life aside from my mother? Do you know how many people offered friendship without asking for nothing in return? Do you know who treats me as a human being the whole time, and not as the Princess or Wonder Woman? I guess that answers the why you question. As for why this? Only thing I can think is, why not? You know me, I know you, I like being with you. And I know you won't feel threatened by my life or my decisions, having lived with the Slayers for so long. I'm not an easy person to be with, Xander."

"Why not Kal, or Batman, then?"

Diana's smile changed a little bit. "Kal is more like a brother to me than anything else, Xander. As for Batman, I won't lie to you, there could be something there, but he's too focused on his mission and his commitment to the fight to let go enough to love someone. And I couldn't stand something like it forever. I need some … normalcy in my life."

"I'm not exactly normal," he replied.

"Ninety percent of the time, you are. That's more than I need, honestly, and the rest is the common ground I need to discuss my life with you."

Xander remained silent for a few minutes, thinking it through. Then, he looked her in the eyes and smiled.

"Buffy and Willow are going to kill me," he murmured, and kissed her again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, might go up later.

**Author's Notes: **Slightly short chapter. And thanks for Icewing for some tips and the beta.

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

About two weeks after the Kiss, as Xander decided to name the event, they were comfortably snuggled in his couch, watching TV. He was deep in thought, since the telephone call he had received earlier the morning.

"Penny," Diana said, from under his arm. She was smiling slightly, she had never felt so content in her life as she was this exact moment.

"Huh?" he asked, coming out of his thinking.

"Penny for your thoughts, isn't that the expression?" the Amazon Princess asked.

"Oh, yeah. Right," he said, trying to figure what to say to her, and how. Seeing his confused look, she straightened up.

"What's wrong?" she asked, slightly worried.

"Well, I… I mean, we got invited for Thanksgiving dinner at the Council."

That perked her curiosity. "So? From what you told me about your friends, it seems traditional."

"As traditional as it can be with all of them, yeah. It's not dinner I'm worried about…" he trailed off.

"What is it, then?" Diana asked, and seeing the almost hurt look in his eye, she got her answer. "Us? The problem is us?"

Xander shook his head. "No, the problem is me."

"How so?"

"I didn't have the best track record with girlfriends, as you already know. And when things started collapsing around us, they wanted nothing else than put me in a steel vault right on top of the Himalayas so I could be completely 'fray-adjacent'. The mentality diminished after my stint in Africa, but it's still there. Showing up with you might have two consequences that I can see. One, they will love you because you're this super-heroine that can protect me from all evil, or two, they'll think you being my girlfriend is the same as painting a target on my forehead saying 'Hostage Material, take me!'. And knowing them, I know it'll be number two."

"What do you want to do, go alone?" she asked. Xander could clearly see the sadness that she was trying to hide.

"No," he said, resolutely. "I have nothing to hide, and nothing to be ashamed of. They don't like it, their problem. All I want is to protect you."

"Protect … me?" Diana asked, dumbfounded.

"Di, I know you can go toe to toe against Superman, but this isn't a physical battle. This is a group of well intended, super-protective women trying to protect their Xander-shaped friend from his own 'bad decisions'," Xander replied, making the signs with his hands, a grimace in his face. "It is endearing sometimes to know they care so much, but they still haven't learned that those are my decisions. I just want to spare you of their reactions."

Diana felt her heart grow warmer with his declarations, and smiled. "Xander, while I love your protectiveness of me, I know how to fight my own battles. And I won't let you go so easy without a fight. I care too much about you to let something like this stand in our way. Just answer me one question, will this somehow damage your relationship with them?"

"I don't know. It might come to some harsh words, but we've been through literal Hell together, this isn't something easy to forget. Besides, Buffy has a worse track record with boyfriends than I have, so it might be just a question of reminding her of such. In the end I think it will be a 'my girlfriend, I love her, deal with it' deal. And turkey," he completed with a smile.

The Amazon Princess gave away a curious smile, one of contentment.

"What?" Xander asked, almost reflecting the smile.

"You know, being an Amazon Princess, a super-heroine and being in the Justice League is an eye-opening experience. I've been to other worlds, I've faces Gods and madmen, but some things, some simple things are worth more than any of it," she said.

"What?" Xander repeated, confused but still smiling.

"I love you too, Xander," she said, and kissed him.

He almost fainted.

* * *

A couple of hours later, a half-asleep Xander was gently nudged by Diana.

"I have to leave," she said, half-dejectedly.

"You could stay, you know," he said in a sleepy voice. "Just to sleep, if you want to. I can stay at the couch."

"No, it's my shift at the monitor. Besides, I have a perfectly comfortable bed at the satellite once it ends, I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable at your own house."

"I wouldn't, but it's your call. But if you ever want to spend the night, _just_ to sleep, feel free to use my bed," he said with a smile.

"Just to sleep?" she asked, mirth in her voice.

"Er…hum… we-well," he blurted, reddening.

She smiled. "Don't worry, I know what you mean, and I'm grateful. As for the other option, let's postpone this particular conversation for when we're both awake, all right?"

He nodded, dumbly.

"Okay, then one last goodnight kiss?"

They kissed for a full minute, and once they separated, Wonder Woman spoke again.

"Call your friends, I'd be delighted to go with you, for better or worse."

"You sure?" the ex-Watcher asked.

She nodded. "And don't worry, I'll provide…transportation for us," she said with a devilish smile.

"The jet?" he asked, going full geek for a moment.

"The jet," Diana replied, laughing.

"Oooh, goodie," he said, and stole one last kiss. "Okay, go on to your extremely exciting monitor duty."

She grimaced. "Don't remind me. I have to go. I love you," she said, smiling.

"I almost don't believe you, but I know you would never lie to me. I love you too," Xander replied, and let the hand he was holding go.

"Okay, beam me up, Scotty," she said, touching the communicator behind her ear. A second later, she disappeared in a stream of light.

Xander snorted for a second, a small smile creasing his face. Then he turned serious, looking to his darkened bedroom.

"You can come out now," he said to the darkness.

* * *

Batman had listened to the entire conversation, and as much as he wanted to think differently, the man sounded sincere. But he had known some great actors in the past, and this could just be one more of them. He was about to move out of the room when Wonder Woman departed, when the guy turned to the door and said in an even voice.

"You can come out now."

The Dark Knight lifted an eyebrow, surprised. He was fairly certain that he had made no sound when he broke into the room, and as far as he knew, this Alexander Harris wasn't a metahuman. So how the heck did he discover him hiding in his bedroom?

Walking out of the darkened room, he stopped at the door threshold, his ominous scowl clearly present in his face.

"Stop that," Xander said, casually. "I've been threatened and brooded by far worse than you, so the 'kill me with a glare' act won't work. What do you want to do now? Offer me the shovel speech? Read me my Council dossier… You know, the one you stole this morning? Or maybe beat me to within an inch of my life until I beg? Or can we go through this civilly. I offer you a cup of coffee and we discuss the matter like two adult beings, where one of them isn't a super-villain with a hidden agenda?"

That threw Batman slightly off-kilter. Harris didn't seem the least phased to be in his presence, and he seemed to know exactly what he would do. Only one thing to do now.

"What do you want?" he asked in his most menacing voice.

"Well, I was going to offer YOU coffee, but since you've probably got a portable expresso machine on that belt of yours and you're asking... Black with two sugars?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

Batman moved from his spot, reaching out to grab Xander by his shirt and lift him up. But, things didn't go according to plan. A heartbeat later, the Dark Knight was being thrown over the man's shoulder via a modified judo throw. As he landed, he rolled and came back to his face, spinning around, his cloak flaring out behind him as he readied himself for… an attack that wasn't coming. Xander simply stood there, hands away from the body, palms up, acting non-threateningly.

"Hey, if you want me to do it, just ask," he said with a smile. Then, his face hardened and he spoke in a flat tone. "Or, if you really wanna be Mr. High and Mighty, we can dance. You already tried to lead, and we both know you're the better dancer. But who knows… I might just surprise you… Again… But odds are you'll pound me into a paste, now that you know I'm not as easy as you thought I was. So, then you'll have to explain to her exactly WHY you beat up normal guy."

The defender of Gotham looked to the one-eyed man, to the hardness in his eye, seeing something there that put him on edge.

A reflection.

"What do you want with Wonder Woman?" he asked, flatly.

"With Wonder Woman? Absolutely nothing. With Diana? I want to know her, love her and make her happy. I guess that this is what happens in a normal relationship, Mr. World's Greatest Detective," he said with a slight sneer.

"What are your plans?" he tried again.

"My plans? Right now, take a cup of coffee, offer you one, if you'll have it. Then we end this pointless conversation and I go to bed. Why?"

"What do you want with Diana?" Batman said, taking one step forward. Xander instantly assumed a fighting stance.

"Come on, Batman. You invaded the Council's database. I knew you eventually would do that, and when Dawn called me this morning to invite us to Thanksgiving, she did give me the 4-11. By the way, she says you're one of the best hackers she ever saw. So, you invaded the Council, took a good look in our files. And from what I know about you, you have a very good picture of what we do. We're not one hundred percent clean, I know that, but with what we face daily, we can't be. And you took particular attention to my file. So, what do you _really _want to ask?"

The Dark Knight stood silent for a few moments. "Cream, no sugar," he said, finally surprising Xander.

"One moment," he said, and entered the small kitchen, the Dark Knight trailing behind, cape swishing in his wake. "Did she tell you how we two met?" Xander asked.

"Bank robbery. You saved her," the hero replied.

"That's it?"

The detective gave away a curt nod.

"Well, she doesn't talk much about herself with you guys, does she? It was that, she only forgot to mention she felt indebted to me, a life debt, and you know what it means for her culture. I didn't want that hanging over her head, and I certainly didn't want that hanging over _my _head. So, I traded a life debt for a cup of coffee. Since that was the deal I made, we went for the coffee, and we talked. And you know what I realized?"

Batman remained silent.

"You guys are so self absorbed in your own lives and missions that you don't much care about each other's lives outside the heroes. Not limited to the Justice League, by the way. I can understand the need for secrecy and all that jazz, but not everyone is like you, Bats. She was cut away from her own family, she had led a fairly sheltered life and she was thrown in a world that doesn't see Diana, the person, it sees Wonder Woman, the Amazon Princess. What do you think happened?"

The silence remained.

"I offered something she didn't really have. A friend. One willing to listen, that is."

They stood in silence as Xander prepared the coffee and offered him a cup.

The Dark Knight took a small sip, and spoke again, this time in an almost normal voice. "What do you want with her?"

"Love her, man, just that. No hidden agendas, no secret plans, nothing. Live a normal life, or as normal as I can manage."

He seemed to be speaking the truth. Heck, he _knew_ he was speaking the truth. And with his own digging, since Wonder Woman started her relationship with him, Batman knew the man was no threat to her. Matter of fact, from the data he collected and the picture he had formed about the man, Alexander Harris would probably go to Hell and back for her.

Just as he would.

So why was he here? He had to be certain, hadn't he?

It had nothing to do with jealousy.

"I know why you're here," Xander said, as they walked back to the living room.

"Enlighten me, then," Batman said.

"I would do the same if the situation was inverted, Batman. You care about her, you wanna be sure she's all right and that the guy isn't a menace to her and you guys."

"You are aware you are at risk? Being with her?"

"Man, I've been risking my life for real since I was fifteen. Heck, since I was a newborn, being born in Sunnydale. I'm willing to take my chances," Xander said, evenly.

"You are also aware you are a risk to us."

"Does it really make a difference? Suppose some super villain hijacks me, will it really make a difference from any other Joe in the street at the end? You guys will try like hell to save either me, or the Joe. Am I wrong? Besides, I think that if someone decides to be that stupid… having the Amazon Princess, the Justice League, the entire Council of Slayers and Watchers and one of the most powerful witches of the world on your bad side won't be that productive to a long life, don't you think?" he said with a snicker.

Batman almost cracked a smile at that. Almost.

"I'm willing to minimize the chances of that happening," he said, getting the full attention of the one-eyed man.

"How?" Xander asked, really curious.

"Training."

* * *

After they talked a bit more about Xander's training, Batman deposited the cup of coffee on a table.

"Bats, I just want to let one thing clear between us. I will never willingly hurt her, but if I ever do, you can come for me, I won't hide."

"Believe me, there won't _be_ a place for you to hide," the Dark Knight said, menacingly.

"I know. Now that's clear between us, can I offer you another cup of coffee?" he said, eyeing the cup for a moment.

When he looked up, Batman was nowhere in sight.

"Damn it!" cursed Xander as he looked around. "I can't believe I bet on Angel to Dawn when she asked who I thought was sneakier... And what makes it worse... I LOST..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, might go up later.

**Author's Notes: **Well, I'm trying to follow the JL cartoon canon, more or less. However, I know people will complain about the lack of an invisible jet in it. My fic, people, deal with it. Thanks this time go to Tohonomike, Siege, Tenhawk, 3D Master and IceWing for a few ideas. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Author's Notes 2: **# # means dialog in Ancient Greek.

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

He gave one last look around the apartment, the two duffle bags already near the front door. It seemed as he didn't forget anything. It was just a three days trip, but he didn't like to leave anything to chance.

And just in time, since his doorbell chose that exact moment to ring.

"Coming," he said out loud, and opened the door.

Wonder Woman was on the other side, looking the best side of a billion dollars and change. A long leather coat, reaching midway the height of her impossibly long legs, dark jeans pants hugging her unbelievable curves, black boots, a red buttoned up shirt going over a black turtleneck, her usual star-shaped earrings and a smile guaranteed to defeat any male without a fight. Xander, obviously, was struck speechless.

"I seem to have caused an impression, right?" she asked.

"You're so unbelievable beautiful, Di," he said, thanking every deity that he remembered for her. He spent many a nights in his bed wondering if it wasn't all just a dream, if he wasn't still in that hospital room in a coma, because Xander Harris, Sunnydale loser, couldn't possibly be dating Diana of Themyscira.

"Why, thank you, love. You ready?" she asked, embracing him and kissing him lightly.

"Yep, was giving the last once over the apartment," he said. "Where is your stuff?" Xander asked, noticing the lack of any bags.

"At the jet," Diana said. She noticed his smile when she mentioned the jet, and she grabbed one of his bags and his hand. "Come on, Xander, we have to go."

He willingly followed her, locking the door and checking the wards. Feeling them in place, they walked to the elevator. He had to remember to thank Willow again for that particular piece of work, it saved his life more than one time while in Africa, and it was good enough to detect nosy Bat-clad detectives.

They reached the elevator, and Diana pushed the button to the top floor.

"You landed on the roof?" Xander asked, wide-eyed. "It won't hold, there isn't enough structural integrity to…" he started saying, but her lips on his silenced the diatribe.

"I know, love, don't worry. Come on," she said as soon as the elevator opened its doors. They climbed the small stairs to the roof, and Diana opened the door, ushering him forward.

Xander stood on the slightly snow covered and chilly roof to see…absolutely nothing.

"Where is it?" the one-eyed man asked. "I might have only one eye, but it still works," he said with a smile.

Diana laughed. "Right in front of you, love. What part of 'invisible jet' didn't you get?" she said, smiling, and she grabbed his hand. She pushed him forward until his open hand hit…something.

His remaining eye grew as big as a saucer, and his mouth turned into the geekier smile he could manage. He started moving around the invisible jet, his hands feeling the completely transparent surface. It had the texture of glass, but it seemed as if he was touching nothing but air. After a few moments, he could figure out that he was touching the nose of the plane. Going over a small comparison in his mind, there wasn't enough space in the roof for it to be landed there, the plane had to be halfway floating outside the edge of the building.

"H-How?" Xander asked, pointing to the plane.

"You know it isn't exactly a jet plane, Xander. It is a magical construct, I just made it look and feel like one. It has no moving parts, no turbines, nothing. It moves by magic and force of will. Now, let's go, your friends are waiting for us."

Xander nodded dumbly, and he saw her walking confidently over the side of the plane, grabbing both his bags and storing them in what he figured was a storage compartment.

"I think you can actually 'see' the plane, right?" he asked, walking closer to her, and carefully as not to bump in the plane.

"Yes and no. I'm…attuned to it, you could say, so I see it more clearly than you. To me, it's like seeing a plane totally made of glass, instead of a completely invisible one. This way I have a reference of size, how to maneuver and handle it. Now come on, I have to help you up. You trust me?"

"Completely," he answered without missing a beat. She simply grabbed him by the waist in a strong one-armed hold, while hovering a few feet above the ground, her free hand working against the invisible frame of the jet. Suddenly Xander started seeing the interior of the plane, he figured the canopy was opening. It looked like the interior of a two-seater jet plane, like an F-14 or something similar, but as if made entirely of glass. It made sense, kind of difficult to use equipment if you had to search for it blindly.

She held him until he managed to align his body properly to sit in the back seater. He sat comfortably, or as comfortably as he could in a jet plane.

"Fasten your seatbelts, love. The plane is buffered against a lot of things a jet suffers, but I don't like leaving things to chance."

He grabbed the near invisible restraints and strapped himself in, under her attentive supervision. She checked to see if the harness was properly locked, kissed him quickly and flipped around, sitting in her own chair.

"Flying must be so cool," she heard Xander mutter behind her. Diana smiled, filing an idea for the future.

She strapped herself, and asked out loud. "Ready, love?"

"As ready as I can be," he replied, smiling.

The invisible jet climbed quickly, turning around and going in the direction of England.

* * *

The first fifteen minutes were…tense. Seeing the clouds passing right under your feet at an amazing speed, for someone lacking the power of self-powered flight was a complicated matter. Diana tried to reassure him that there was no chance of a mechanical failure since they weren't actually flying by mechanical means, and if something happened she would be there for him, all the way.

He eventually relaxed and started enjoying the flight. Xander asked a lot of questions about the plane, and Diana answered as best as she could, then they switched subjects and started talking about places they had been to, and people they had met during their journeys. It eventually reached the Amazon's past.

"Wasn't a little maddening living in an island surrounded by women? I'm a man, and even I know after some time I'd be either pretty bored or wanting to kill someone."

Diana chuckled. "Sometimes I felt the same, but I guess it is more or less like living in a small rural community. Everyone knows everyone, everyone has its obligations, and everyone lives their own lives."

Xander shook his head. "And this brought in a lot of problems in and on itself," he said.

"I agree," Wonder Woman said. "Isolationism, now that I have an outsider's perspective of it, doesn't work. It only causes a bigger problem in the end."

"Your society stagnated," he replied. "Biological problems aside, their only safety now is in hiding. If they are found, I'm sorry to say, defeating them won't be a problem."

"We won't go down easily," she replied, angrily.

Xander, noticing her state, tried to defuse the situation.

"I never said that, Di, and I know you won't. But if someone really nasty decides to end with your sisters, all it takes is an aerial strike and a few selected bombs. Besides, you isolationism caused another problem," he said, attacking the problem logically.

"And what is it?" she asked, still clearly annoyed.

"I might suck at the international politics game, love, but I learned a few things while in Africa. If the international governments don't recognize your sovereignty, all your mighty and bravado means squat. That means that you stand alone against any enemy you might make."

The ex-Watcher questioned his own sanity, getting in an argument with a woman who could possibly make him fit _inside _a milk carton while traveling on a plane that she had absolutely control over. Thanks to the transparency of the canopy, he could see the tenseness of her muscles for a while, and he kept his mouth shut, waiting for a reaction. After a few moments he noticed her shoulder sagging, and she spoke in the tone that Xander recognized as 'annoyed but rational'.

"I know, but what can we do? What canI do?"

Xander sighed, he hated getting into arguments with her. They did have them, once in a while, and they made their peace fairly easy. Diana was a very rational woman when she wasn't set in her 'warrior moods', as he liked to say, so thinking and talking things through for them was quite common, far more common than arguing.

"I don't know, love. Like I said, I suck at all this Ivory Tower, Halls of Government diplomatic gobbledygook stuff, the farther I went with it was saying how many Slayers went in to solve a demon clan dispute and how many members to remove to settle it. This requires people way better than me to figure it out."

Diana remained silent for a few more minutes. "I miss them, you know?" she said, opening up to him.

"I know, love. We'll figure out a way for you to set foot on the island again and stay there, I promise."

"Thanks, Xander," she replied, sadly.

They remained silent after that for a long time.

* * *

"Ladies and… well, lady, we're arriving at the Watcher's Council English Headquarters, fondly nicknamed 'Giles' Pad'," Xander said with a grin, speaking like a tourist guide. "To your left is the main house, where we have the living facilities, research area and main armory. Slightly behind and to the right is the training area and pool, and the backmost construction is the stables, garage and secondary armory. If you go a little bit that a-ways you'll find Hogwarts," he said with a smile, making a general motion to where Scotland would be.

"Hogwarts?" Diana asked, curious

"I'll explain later, heathen," he said. The place, Diana noticed, was a huge old castle near Wiltshire. It was amazingly well kept, and she could see people moving around the property, and a few horses as well.

"There are two helipads to the left of the property, you could temporarily land there till we find an appropriate place for the jet. And you remember Andrew, right?"

Diana laughed. "Are you sure he is that bad?"

"Trust me, you really don't want to know. You remember our plan, don't you?" Xander said, grinning evilly.

"You are absolutely sure I won't offend anyone by doing it, right?" she asked, while aligning the jet for landing.

"You'll probably be cheered by all of them doing it, trust me."

* * *

Inside the house, the magical sensitive people around lifted their collective heads, something magical had breached the outmost wards. Detecting no ill intent from the source, a few of them resumed their current activities, while others stopped what they were doing and converged to a previously chosen spot.

"They're here, they're here!" Willow said, sounding so much like the hyped teenager she once was.

"Oh, no. You sure, Red?" Faith asked smiling, Robin coming right behind her. The wicca threw her a mild glare, which was soon traded by a large smile.

"Let's go meet them, shall we? And where are Buffy and Dawn?" Giles asked, coming from upstairs.

"INCOMING!" Buffy yelled, sliding down the large railing like a damned kid, missing hitting Giles by a hair. Dawn ran down the same stairs, jumping the last five steps.

"No fair, you have Slayer speed and balance," Dawn complained. Buffy simply gave her the tongue treatment.

The head of the Council just shook his head, mildly annoyed with their antics, but in the end really glad to see them all so happy. Xander really had an amazing effect in all of his friends, himself included.

The big side door opened, and Willow was the first one to bolt, hitting the one-eyed foreman with a bone crunching hug and almost tripping them over, if not for the prompt intervention of Diana, who stabilized them both with a hand. Buffy followed a second behind, then Dawn, and soon he was swamped by the three girls, Diana slightly to the side, a smile plastered on her face.

After they nearly hugged him to death, Faith decided to add her two cents. "YO! Get a room, you four!"

That served to at least allow the Scoobies founding father to breathe. The girls detached one by one, but Willow remained perched under his arm. "I think you girls are glad to see me," he said with a smile, and then he noticed the absolutely flabbergasted look the trio was giving Diana. It was a look of… well, awe was the best description. "Ah, where are my manners. Diana, this redhead under my arm – please don't kill her," he mock-whispered the last part to the Amazon, "is my best friend since forever and uber-wicca extraordinaire, Willow Rosenberg."

"H-h…hi," Willow stammered, extending her shaking hand. Diana grabbed the hand and said a polite "Hello."

"Don't go hitting on my girlfriend, you hear?" Xander said, nudging the witch slightly. It had the desired effect, Willow turned fire-engine red and the group laughed, the princess included. "The short stuff that you can see from up there is the best Slayer ever, Buffy Summers," he said, only to receive a death glare from the blonde woman.

"Hi, is he truly your boyfriend?" Buffy asked, smiling.

The Themyscirian smiled slightly. "Yes, he is. Why?" she asked, curious.

"How do you handle him?" the Slayer asked, but she had no harm in her voice, matter of fact it was said in her 'happy cheerleader' tone.

"Superhuman patience?" the Amazon replied back, smiling. The people around laughed, the nervous mood dissipating with it.

Xander turned to her, surprise written all over his face. "You finally corrupted her, Xan," Dawn said, still laughing. #Don't mind my sister, I think the bleach finally hit the brain. I'm Dawn Summers#, she said, in nearly flawless ancient Greek, while extending her hand.

#I haven't spoke my home language in quite a while, and your accent is pretty good. I'm Diana#, she said, quite happy that they were acting normal around her.

#I know, a pleasure. If you need someone smart to talk to, I'm happy to oblige#, Dawn completed.

Willow looked to them. #Hey, who are you calling stupid?# she said, her accent not so good, but still passable.

#The ones with artificial hair color?# Dawn quipped. The trio giggled after that

"Hey, I'm feeling left out. Can someone clue me on the joke in the weird language?" Buffy asked to them.

#See what I mean?# Dawn completed to another round of giggles.

"Don't mind them, Buffy, they're just…yanking your chain, I believe is the expression," Giles said, approaching the duo. "I'm Rupert Giles, Your Highness," he said, bowing formally.

"None of that, Mr. Giles. I'm among friends, I believe, so I'm Diana."

"Then call me Giles, Diana. Hello, son, glad to see you're well and happy," he said, approaching Xander for a heartfelt non-British back-slapping hug.

"I am, dad, thanks for asking and inviting us," he said, glad to be in the presence of the only man he could call a father and mean it.

"Hey, you forgetting someone, Boytoy?" Faith called from the back.

"Hummm, I think not," he said, tapping his forehead mockingly. Faith started approaching, hands outstretched as if to grab his neck. Xander backtracked and hid behind Diana, smiling.

"Very manly, X, hiding behind Wonder Chick's skirt. Come out here and face me like a chicken you are!"

"Humm…no," he said, and bolted, hiding behind a couch. Faith tried to run behind him, but she stopped after a few steps, remembering her condition. "The oven baking the newest Scooby is Faith Wood and the eight ball giving me a glare is her husband Robin," he said from behind the couch.

"A pleasure. May Higeya bless this child with health and love," Diana said, looking to the prominent belly.

"Thank you, Diana," Robin said for his wife, who simply nodded.

Xander stood up from behind the couch and approached the Bostonian, giving her a careful but affectionate hug. "Hi Faith, how's little Scrappy-Loo?"

"Going good, X. Kicking like a mule, thou. I think she's already practicing backflips while in there."

"What's this comm…" a new voice asked, arriving from another door.

Xander's evil smirk appeared. "Diana, let me introduce you to Andrew Wells, Giles' assistant and the man responsible to keep the Pad in something resembling order."

Diana walked to Andrew, who was frozen on the spot, eyeing her with eyes the size of soccer balls. Xander noticed she had put an extra swing to her steps, he had to remind to thank her profusely afterwards. She entered the geek's personal space and kissed him in the cheek.

"A pleasure, Mr. Wells," she said, voice an octave lower than her normal.

Andrew turned even redder than Willow had, but remained frozen on the spot. Diana turned around and walked back to her boyfriend, the same swing present in her walking.

"That was evil, Xander. Funny, but evil," Buffy whispered in his ear.

Andrew then suddenly bolted out of the room, disappearing to parts unknown. Xander fell on the floor, laughing, while, as he had predicted earlier, the Scoobies started congratulating Diana or her able handling of the annoying man.

"You sure he won't feel bad about it?" the princess asked to the assembled group.

"No, he's probably feeling pretty good right now, but this way you managed to keep him in check during your stay, otherwise he would be nagging you about the rest of the Justice League 24/7," Dawn said, calming the demigoddess.

After the laughter had died down, Giles spoke.

"Well, I believe you both to be tired after the trip, so I'd suggest you both to drop your bags at your rooms and relax, we'll be serving dinner at nine PM. Xander, I took the liberty of putting Diana in the room next to yours. That entire hall has been empty since the last of your girls took to the field. That way, Lady Diana can have someone nearby in case she needs anything... And," Giles smiled. "I am relatively sure that the wards should still keep Andrew from making his presence known..."

Xander smiled. "Thanks, G-Man. I'll get us settled in, then we'll be back down to do some catch up with you and the girls."


	5. Chapter 5

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, might go up later.

**Author's Notes: **Thanks this time go to Siege, Tenhawk, 3D Master and IceWing for a few ideas. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Author's Notes 2: **# # means dialog in Ancient Greek.

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

"You have your own room here?" Diana asked while they climbed the stairs. Xander nodded.

"I lived here for about six months after I came back from Africa. I was tired of being a Watcher and I needed a vacation, so I dropped here and helped out a bit, nothing stressful or dangerous."

"I don't see you sitting idly and doing nothing while things are happening around you, love," she said, while they walked over the long hallways. Diana noticed that, while the castle was old looking, the interior had been almost entirely renovated, giving it a fresh, modern air. She stopped short, the pieces all falling into place. "You renovated the castle, didn't you?"

Xander shrugged. "Didn't do it all by myself, but yeah. I like building things, Di, it makes me happy. When I started in construction it was just a job, to pay the bills, you know? Then, one day, I found out I liked doing it. I was shoving an axe down a demon's throat at the time, so you could say it was a cathartic experience."

Diana gave the multifaceted man at her side a loving look, she couldn't possibly find a more perfect man to fall in love with. He had so many interesting sides, yet he remained so… human, so grounded, it surprised her. Sure, from their long talks, she knew he had a temper worth fearing, a protective streak a mile long, wounds and scars, both visible and invisible, and yet he managed to be a caring and most wonderful individual, a gentleman in the best sense of the world.

"Well, we're here," he said, opening the door to a room. She walked in, and was slightly surprised. It was a big room, with a four poster queen-sized bed, a door to the side, probably the bathroom, and a glass door which took her to a small veranda. The place was warm and inviting. "You wanna unpack your stuff now?" he asked, ever concerned about her well-being and her wishes.

"No, I want to enjoy the rest of this beautiful day, I can unpack later tonight," she said, leaving her bag resting on the bed.

"Then lemme just drop this at my room and we're good to go," he said, and they walked to the next door down the hall. Xander opened it and walked in with the air of someone walking into his own home. The room, Diana noticed, was almost an exact mirror of her own, except for a few basic differences. There were pictures of Xander all around, surrounded by young women of all ages, plus the group she had met downstairs, either together or in pair or trios. The Amazon started paying greater attention to them, while Xander dropped his bags on the ground next to a wardrobe.

"A few of my Slayers," Xander said while she was looking at a picture of a few of them throwing him happily to the skies, all of the girls smiling like maniacs, he with a look that Diana named 'fearfully content'. "It's their 'graduation'."

Diana noticed the sadness in his voice, and hugged him. "Only three are still alive," he said. There were seven girls at the picture.

The Themiscyrian kissed him lightly and looked into his brown orb. "I know how this is, I've lost a few friends through the years and the wars we've faced. I also know that, no matter what we do, no matter how much we try, we always lose our loved ones, one way or the other. That is the way of the Universe."

He nodded. "I know that. Does it ever get easier?"

Diana nodded her head minutely. "In a way. You realize one day you just remember the happy memories, and you smile in remembrance. Portuguese language has a word, 'saudade', it has no translation to English that I know of, the closer I can get is longing, but it's not the same. It's this feeling that remains."

"Saudade," he said, trying the word, her head resting in his shoulder. They remained like that for a while, then Xander lifted her chin delicately and kissed her. "Come on, I wanna talk with them and we have turkey waiting for us," he said, smiling slightly.

"Let's go," she said, and they walked downstairs.

* * *

They chatted for a while, Xander and Diana telling a few things about their relationship, Buffy and Willow complaining about their lack of one, then a few bits about slaying and saving the world, where they were introduced to the mostly hidden mischievous streak of Diana.

"You did that?" Buffy said, nearly falling out of her couch, laughing. Willow wasn't all that better and Giles was smiling slightly, but cleaning his glasses furiously.

She turned to Xander, her eyes glowing with mirth. "Why do people assume I can't have my fun while saving the world at the same time?"

"I guess it's all that 'Princess' bit, Di. They assume you'll be all royalty in everything you do, be all noble and proper, all the time," he said, his lopsided grin in place.

"Then I guess I shouldn't mention my …escapades while living in Themyscira."

You could hear a pin drop after that. Xander froze to her side, Buffy and Willow both were perfect imitations of fish and Giles looked as if his head would explode.

"Wow, the Chick was wild!" Faith interjected two seconds later, grinning madly.

"What, aren't I supposed to have sex?" she asked, eyeing the group around her. She thought it was time to clear a few things between them, and for Xander as well. Not that she would jump in bed with him right the next moment, but in all their time together, he hadn't mentioned a thing about it, ever, nor had he done anything more…forward.

"Can you guys excuse us for a moment?" Xander asked, taking Diana carefully by the arm and walking with her to another room, outside of the range of Slayer senses. "What was that?" he asked, some hurt reflected in his voice.

"I'm deeply sorry if I offended you, Xander, but it seemed like a good moment," she said, eyes focused on him.

"A good moment for what? It seemed like something like Anya would do, not you," he replied.

"And that is the main problem, love. I love you, I know you love me, and most of the time, you treat me like I do like to be treated in a relationship, like Diana. However, when the matter turns into sex, you start thinking on me like Wonder Woman, or the Amazon Princess. While I think it is endearing, up to a point, I'm also a woman, and I have my needs, like all women have. I've seen you try to get bolder more than once and retreat at the last moment. I do want you to be bolder, and don't worry about trying anything, if I don't like or if I think it's not the moment, I will tell you, okay?"

Xander nodded, dumbly. Then he started to think about their relationship, and he had to agree that she was right. He still had her over the pedestal, but first and foremost she was a woman in love with him.

"This, however, does not mean I'll jump into bed with you right now, I think I'm not ready for this step yet."

"You're still a virgin?" he asked, curious and in a bit of awe.

"With a man, yes. With a woman… I'm a few centuries old, Xander, and I've lived in an island with only women around. I don't want to fuel your thoughts much more than this, but it was only to sate a need, there were no profound feelings involved. Just companionship."

The one-eyed man smiled after a few moments of deep thinking. "Thank you for this honor, Diana. I shall prove myself to be worthy of it."

"You already are, Xander. Now, let's get back to your friends, let's see if I caused any heart attacks."

They returned to their friends, Xander laughing nervously.

* * *

Dawn looked to the couple as soon as they sat down. She had just arrived to a lot of red-faced friends, her sister included, and a smirking Faith.

"From the looks of it, someone mentioned sex," the Key said.

"DAWN!" Buffy screamed, still red.

"What? I don't know other subjects that turn you all into tomatoes and Faith into the Cheshire Cat. So, spill."

"#Nothing that should concern you right now, little sister. I was just adjusting a small matter of perspective.#" Diana said, in Greek.

"#Let me guess, they think you and Xander shouldn't do it?#" Dawn said, evenly.

"#Nothing of the sort, they think I don't know what it is or that I've never done it.#"

Dawn snorted. "#Typical. With so many brainy people around, they don't think all that much.#"

"#You're not surprised?#" Diana asked, curious.

"#I'm a Linguist, with a Major in Ancient Languages. I had to study a lot of ancient History for my courses, so I know how the Greeks saw the matter of sex. You're what, a couple thousand years old?#"

"#Hey, I'm not that old!#" Diana said, smiling.

Dawn replied the smile, and continued. "#Sorry. Anyway, I'm not so surprised. Besides, lesbian sex isn't all that much to me, having lived with Willow all those years.#"

"#So, you agree with me and Xander doing it?#" she asked, hopeful.

"#Of course I do, you're the most normal person Xander dated, and it seems that he's fallen hard for you. However, and bear in mind I'll be the first but not the last to do this, if you ever hurt him, I'll find a way to…reciprocate,#" Dawn said, with finality in her voice.

"#I swear on my Lasso and my life I'll never hurt him,#" Diana said, seriously.

"#Don't make promises you can't keep, love,#" Xander said from her side. She looked to him, surprised.

"#Since when you can speak Greek, Xander?#" she asked.

"#I knew a bit of it because of Watcher duties, but after I met you, I decided to learn it a bit more. It pays to have one friend who's an expert Linguist on speed dial#," he said, looking to Dawn, who was blushing slightly.

"#And you would tell me this when?#" Diana asked.

"#When I felt more secure about not making a fool out of myself. Sorry if I've hidden this from you, but it was supposed to be a surprise#," he said.

"#I understand. But no more secrets between us, okay? At least when it concerns our relationship. Besides, you're going pretty well. You need to work a bit on your accent, but that's something we can work on#," Diana said, with a slight smile. "And what do you mean, promises I can't keep? I always keep my promises, Xander," she said, reverting to English.

"I know that, honey. But you don't know what tomorrow will bring. No one does," he said, sadly.

"Lemme guess, the 'not hurt him' spiel?" Buffy asked from her spot.

Xander and Dawn nodded.

"He's right, you know. We all here had loved ones who said the same thing and in the end they hurt us, either directly or indirectly. So don't make this promise, just treat him right for as long as you can, and be honest about it. Cause if you don't, you'll deal with me," Buffy said, darkly, and Diana could clearly sense something shift in the air around her.

"With all of us," Willow corrected, to what Faith and Giles nodded.

"People, she's my girlfriend and a super-hero. Don't you think this is a wee bit much?" Xander asked, embracing her with one arm. He knew this would come eventually.

"This is our only warning, the friendly version," Buffy said, and then she smiled. "Besides, we have the freaking Wonder Woman here, they don't come much better than this. I'm happy for you, Xan. I guess we all are, right?"

The group nodded, and Xander finally relaxed, glad that, for once, he was absolutely wrong about his family.

* * *

They talked until dinner time, a lot of laughter was shared among them, and they all spoke a bit about their lives. Xander filed some information to expand afterwards with Diana, regarding some subject or other which were briefly talked about, but never expanded upon. Then Andrew made a brief appearance to warn them that dinner was served, only to look at Diana and bolt out of the room, again. 

"If I knew this would work so well, I would have done it a long time ago," Faith said, in between laughs.

They sat on a table large enough for them only, and Diana asked, curiously. "I know there are more people living here. Aren't they supposed to join us?"

Giles looked to her. "Yes, they are. However, when we proposed that, they said you need time to get acclimated with Xander's closest friends first. They said, and I quote 'Too much madness for one go', and I tend to agree."

"You put too many of us in a table and you have to hide the cutlery, Wonder Chick. Too much hormones in the same environment is not healthy," Faith replied, to the silent snickers of the rest of them.

"I think I understand, but I'd like to meet them, if possible," the Amazon said.

"Knowing Buff and Faith here, I think that they have already booked the training facility for a little sparring tomorrow. If you won't mind, that is," Xander said.

There was a gleam in her eyes, the same one reflected in both Slayers. "No, I don't mind," she replied, _waaay_ too quickly.

"You can't, Faith. The baby?" Robin said, to what his wife growled. But then, she started caressing her belly. "Sorry, hun, momma keeps forgetting about little Scrappy-Loo. But in two months you'll be out of there and I can play with the nice lady," she said, looking hopefully to Diana.

"I'd be delighted," she said, smiling.

"Warrior women, all the same," Xander sighed, and the table cracked into another round of laughter.

* * *

After the marvelous turkey with a ton of gravy and mashed potatoes was finished, Giles excused himself and went to bed, his argument being he was getting too old to stay up after such a filling dinner. Faith then looked at the rest of them, cracked her knuckles and smiled.

"Who wants to play some friendly poker?" she asked.

Buffy groaned. "I suck at it, so I'm out."

"Me too," Willow said.

"Let's make a deal. If no one bothers, B and Red can play as one. X and Chick, you in?"

Xander looked to his girlfriend and she nodded. "However, I don't know how to play all that well. I've seen Flash, Jo'nn, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl playing once, so I know a bit."

"We can play some games so I can explain it to you, then we start playing for real, when you feel comfortable. Everyone agrees?" Xander asked.

The group nodded. They stood up and moved to the game room, where, among other things, they found a trio of Slayers playing a game on the Playstation hooked to the large plasma TV screen. The Slayers were introduced to Diana, and they acted as expected, asking for autographs. The Amazon agreed, but Buffy said that she would stay with them for the next two days, there was no need to hurry. The girls squealed happily, hugged the surprised superhero, and went back to their game.

They sat at the poker table, and Willow conjured a silent barrier around them, so the videogame wouldn't bother their fun.

Faith then dealt the cards, and the fun started.

* * *

Diana was looking outside her window, much later that evening. She was clad in a dark blue cotton pajama, the fabric more than enough to dispel the slightly lingering cold the heating system couldn't fight. They had ended the poker game far late in the night, Diana having most of the chips resting in front of her. It was fun to see Faith growling about 'beginners' luck' while her husband escorted her upstairs. That brought a smile to her face once again, but soon it was dispelled by another fleeting thought.

Why couldn't she sleep?

She didn't need all that much sleep, because of her demigoddess nature, but in a calm and relaxed environment like this one from the castle, she could easily fall asleep for six to eight hours, no problem at all.

Then why was she up, looking to the snow-covered grounds of the castle?

She looked to her bed again, and her mind flew to the man sleeping a few feet away in the other room.

When she answered the call of Jo'nn to fight the invaders that had decimated his people, she would never have imagined what would have happened afterwards. Being banned from her island, fighting on other planets, and meeting and falling in love with Xander.

She imagined half of the world thought that one of her Justice League friends held her heart, and at first, she imagined the same. After all, they were a close knit group of friends, or at least very good colleagues, so it wasn't uncommon for something like this to happen. And from the stolen looks between Hawkgirl and GL, it would probably be a reality in very little time.

But no, she had found the other half of her heart in a normal human man, a man that, while not wearing a cape, was as much of a hero as any of them. It was amusing to see people's reactions, mainly among the Leaguers. Shayera was amused by it, Kal wanted to meet him, John ranted that it could be dangerous to all of them, Jo'nn congratulated her, Flash threw in a couple of jokes and Batman… Batman remained silent during all of it.

It intrigued her that he didn't ask any questions about Xander or how did they met. He never left anything to chance, so why didn't he ask?

Shaking her head, she remembered her brief argument defending Xander, and asking the others to not interfere, and that yes, she would eventually introduce him to them.

She wondered what her mother would say if she said she was deeply in love with a mortal man?

That was going to be another problem. She might be banned from the island, but Hyppolita was still her mother, and she still loved her pretty much. She knew that this would be another wall that Diana would raise between them. To the Amazons, men were breeding stock, nothing more, nothing less. Falling in love with one was unheard of. Even worse, one that she would outlive easily.

So, what should she do?

They would have, in her perspective, so little time together. But she knew she had to grab those moments and hold them with all her strength, because, while she might not be all that experienced with relationships, she knew that what she felt for him was True Love. Thinking about it, she grabbed her pillow and silently walked out of her room, knocking softly on his door.

After a few moments, he opened the door, yawning profusely. "Di, anything wrong?"

She shook her head, looking to him. He was clad in sweatpants and a t-shirt, hair all mussed up, and she thought he never looked so beautiful. "No, I just reached a decision. Mind if I come in?" she asked.

Xander moved to the side, still not thinking clearly. She walked in, and he sat on his bed. "What decision?"

"I know you're too sleepy to think properly, but for now I'm just going to ask a single question. Do you love me?"

"I must be dreaming. Of course I do love you, what kind of question is that?"

Diana grinned. "The most important one. And I have one other question."

"Shoot," he said, hoping it was another easy question, he was really too sleepy to function properly.

"Is your bed large enough for two?" she asked, sheepishly.

That actually had the effect on Xander of him drinking about twenty gallons of coffee. "What?" he asked, now clearly awake, but still confused.

"Just to sleep, Xander. For now, it's just sleeping together as in sharing the same bed to sleep. I think you'll need to feel at ease with me before we even think on taking the next step."

He nodded dumbly. He never imagined their talk earlier on would have so quick an impact, but he had to agree this would probably be the best way. So, he took a deep breath and smiled.

"What side of the bed you wanna sleep in?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, might go up later.

**Author's Notes: **Thanks this time go to Marc DeHaan, Tenhawk and IceWing for the beta reading. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

Xander woke up, Morpheus releasing him from his entrancing embrace with gentle slowness. The first thing he felt was the comforting weight resting on his shoulder, and the slight tickle of soft breathing on his neck. He almost twitched, but before his muscles responded, his still sleepy brain provided him with the memory of what had transpired the previous night.

Diana, the woman he had met roughly eight months ago, whom he had saved and fallen in love with, was sleeping at his side.

Deciding on enjoying the moment, the first of many (he hoped) he started exploring the sensations the best he could without disturbing her slumber.

He took a deep breath, trying to create a mental reference of what she smelled like. There were the basics, like the sandalwood soap she liked, shampoo, some sweat, and underneath it all…her. She smelled a combination of scents, everything that was so clearly present in her personality; it made Xander reinforce his idea of her perfection. First was something herbal, like the sour tea she liked so much, but closer to the rainforests he had visited while in Africa. It had a soothing effect; it reflected the calmness she had while they were alone and in peace. Deeper still, he smelled a hint of something else, something…spicy, like cinnamon, which he promptly related to her warrior core. But to the forefront, stronger than everything else, was a maelstrom of Nature's power, the smell of fresh earth after a rainstorm and the ozone in the air after thunder had struck. It struck a chord deeper within him, something that made him smile instinctively.

Sometimes, it was so good to have the remainders of a Hyena possession.

He cracked his one functional eyelid open, and his smile grew even larger. Her long body was pressed to his right side, his arm under her neck and holding her back in a very comfortable position. Her right arm and leg were crossed over his body in a half-embrace and, he couldn't let the thought go, gentle possessiveness.

Of course, it could also be the position she liked to sleep in, but he was feeling sappy, so what?

He gave a very brief and silent laugh, the slight shaking of his body more than enough to change the status quo.

The breathing on his neck hitched for a second; muscles able to turn a car into the size of a tennis ball contracted slightly and relaxed almost at once, and then contracted again in a gentle embrace.

"Morning," he said in a, still sleep-laden, deep voice.

* * *

Diana was roused from her sleep with the bed shaking under her, but as soon as the shaking started, it stopped altogether. Brain cells enlaced with partial godhood and a warrior's training halted her breathing for a second, while muscles contracted ever so slightly, ready to strike at a moment's notice. And then, her heart beat once again, and she remembered exactly where she was, and who she was with.

Her muscles relaxed and then contracted again, in an entirely different mindset.

"Morning," a voice purred near her ear, and she smiled, taking an opportunity to kiss the neck so close to her lips. An involuntary shiver crossed over Xander's body, and her wicked side decided to show up. She moved, and instead of lying at his side, she was suddenly straddling him, her body completely stretched over his.

"Good morning, love. Slept well, I assume?" she asked, with a crooked grin in place, pale blue eyes twinkling madly.

* * *

Xander Harris considered himself to be an adult human being. He had been in every sexual situation between a man and a woman, thanks to an ever-horny want-to-try-it-all ex-demon girlfriend nee fiancée, so he should be pretty jaded regarding sexual situations, even the not-so-sexual-but-hinting-at-some-eventual-sex situations. So, why was he frozen like a statue and reddening as if he was a cooking lobster with only Diana climbed atop of him? Fully clothed, even?

Then, his rational mind kicked his hormones to the side for a second, allowing him to think.

Okay, he had his girlfriend lying over him, with a smile on her face and mirth in her eyes. He was pretty sure she loved him, and he knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that he loved her. And in all of this time, it never entered into the equation that she was a superhero and a princess to the rest of the world, to him she was only Diana.

Unless the matter was sex, and then, his noble streak would hit and it would bring his old feelings of unworthiness back with it. It was a damn weight on his heart, the lingering doubt he had been subjected to since childhood, that he would never be good enough for anyone, especially her.

He squashed the thought immediately. _Nobody_ would ever be good enough for her. Ever.

This particular train of thought was derailed, messily, when she lowered her head and kissed him deeply, not minding morning breath or bed hair. It caused an interesting deviation on blood flow, and what was hard from biological need suddenly turned even harder. She kept going at it while his hardness became fairly obvious for her and painful for him. He reddened even worse, and Diana finally noticed his slightly panicky face. She smiled wickedly and climbed down from on top of him.

"I think you need some…release, love. Go ahead, I'll wait right here for you."

Xander climbed out of bed and ran to the bathroom without saying a word, Diana found herself shaking in silent laughter.

* * *

"You are a wicked woman, Diana of Themyscira," he said, returning from the bathroom after his usual morning chores. And a quick cold shower.

"You got it wrong, love. People call me _Wonder _Woman," she replied with a wicked smile, sitting on his bed indian-style.

"That too," he murmured. "Bathroom's all yours," he said, louder.

"Thank you, but my things are in my room. Give me twenty minutes and we can go to breakfast together?"

"Sure," he replied and she climbed out of bed and walked out of the room with a sexy swagger on her hips.

"I'm doomed."

* * *

The teasing of Xander Harris stopped during breakfast, where they were joined by Giles and Dawn, and the talking quickly evolved to a philosophical discussion on why so few of the superheroes were involved in the fight against the supernatural.

"I guess this falls into the 'to each his own' situation," Xander spoke after a while. "See Di here, she's a bit too much for the usual, run of the mill, vampires the Slayers face daily. Or nightly, as the case may be," he completed with a smile.

"I thought you wanted her at your side during a fight, Xander," Dawn queried, curious.

"Oh, I do. I really do, but think about it. Di, what would you do if facing a vampire?" he asked to his girlfriend, who was listening intently.

"No stakes?"

"No stakes."

"Probably punch him in the head," she said, evenly, her warrior mind painting the scenario in a flash.

"Just that?" Dawn asked, incredulously.

"Dawn, she isn't a Slayer. A punch from Lady Diana would probably rip the vampire's head off. Using her would be like using an atomic bomb to solve a minor domestic disturbance," Giles concluded the scenario.

"I think that this would make things easier," the Key replied, still confused.

"Think about it, Dawnie, if Diana is facing vampires, who is facing the things that only Wonder Woman can face?"

The younger Summers girl remained silent for a while, deep in thought.

"That's why not many of your superfriends get involved with the supernatural?" Dawn asked Diana.

"I think so, or at least it makes sense. Of course, we do have a few fighters that specialize themselves in the supernatural, like Etrigan, Dr. Fate and some others, but they are very few and too closed up. And we have the occasional brush up with them, but it's rare."

"Why do you think it happens, Giles?" Dawn asked to the Head Watcher.

"I think it's related to Balance, Dawn. Both sides of the fight balance each other out, whether it's by the simple design of the Universe or by forces far beyond our mortal comprehension."

"That's why there is a Superman to face a Darkseid, a Batman to face a Joker, and so on," Xander completed, to a nod of Diana.

"Then why didn't the Darkness react to the activation of all Slayers?" Dawn asked, her mind following a logical pattern.

"Who says it wasn't the other way around?" Xander replied back.

That brought the entire table's attention back to him.

"Look, people, let's make a bit of math." He looked over across the table. "Giles, how many vampires do you believe exist in the world at any given time?"

"I don't have any exact numbers, Xander, but I believe something in the range between twenty to thirty thousands."

"Okay, now remember the Slayer's old spiel…One girl chosen…blah blah blah…to stop the swell of their numbers. Tell me, how many vampires did Buffy slay, per night, while in Sunnydale?" he asked the Watcher.

"I'd say, on average, from five to seven vampires," he said, frowning slightly when he realized Xander's train of thought.

"Okay, was she a slacker, in any sense?" the one-eyed man asked.

"She was...something else, but I wouldn't call her a slacker. Matter of fact, her long and successful career as a Slayer notwithstanding, she has one of the better kills per night ratio of all the Slayers around."

"So, let's be optimistic, and say she killed ten bloodsuckers per night. Let's be even more optimistic, and say that there are around ten thousand bastards roaming the world at any given time. We can add a few more vamp killings to round up a nice number, from people like the Fang Gang and such, and say that we have around fifty dust piles per night. Fifty…" he raised his right hand an inch above the tabletop, "ten thousand," he raised his left one way above his head. "This isn't counting the odd demon or two or the Apocalypses being averted every once in a while. See the balance here? Perhaps activating all the Potentials have been a plan of the Powers all this time."

"How did you reach this conclusion, Xander?" Giles asked, his mind already collecting references for research. Dawn had the same gleam reflected in her eyes.

"Savannah Nights; and no cable. Guy had to spend his time with something. Come on, Di, let's go for the nickel tour," he said, standing up and grabbing his girlfriend's hand in his. They quickly walked out of the lunch room and into the cold England morning.

* * *

"Wasn't it a bit mean? Leaving them like that?" Diana asked, seeking some meager refuge from the cold under his arm. 

Xander chuckled. "You saw that gleam in their eyes?" To the Princess' nod, he continued. "That means my plan worked. I wanted to spend some time alone with you this morning, and Dawn and Giles would probably want to come together to…interrogate you."

"Interrogate me? Why?" the Themyscirian asked, curious.

"Come on, Diana. You're like one of their old dusty tomes, only not being a tome and definitely not dusty and…very hot," he concluded, getting slightly embarrassed with his babbling. God, what an effect she had on him.

"Thanks, love. I appreciate the effort, but isn't this an important piece of information to have?"

"Not really, no. What will change if they figure out it was a plan from some Higher Ups instead of Buffy trying to save the planet on the brink of extinction? Besides, I already know what they'll find," he said with a smile.

Diana took a quick look to his face, conclusion dawning. "You've already researched it, haven't you?"

"Yup, as I said, no cable in the Savannah, and six months doing almost nothing is waaaay too long, even for me. There's an old reference in a diary of a European guy whose name I can't pronounce, he was an obscure Seer not taken seriously even for those who believed his abilities. He said something about an Army being born of desperation to save mankind and bring Balance to the unbalanced. He was pretty vague with his descriptions, so that's probably why Giles didn't remember him."

Diana laughed.

"What?" Xander asked, confused.

"I think Batman would love having you as a pupil." She sighed dramatically, "My boyfriend, the man with flawless plans, and the ability to execute them masterfully. Congratulations, honey," she said, but the Batman bit made him stop dead in his tracks. "What happened, love?" she asked, worriedly looking to his suddenly ashen-colored face.

"Hum…remember when you said, last night, about us not hiding things from each other? Well, Ididhidesomethingfromyou," he said quickly.

Diana, stunned as she was, had practice decoding speed-speak from Flash, so she got exactly what Xander had said. Getting guarded for a moment, she asked. "What did you hide?"

"I'm going to tell you something that will probably send you screaming to rip one of your friends' head off, but please, let me finish, and before you do anything rash, lemme tell you I agree with him and would have done exactly the same thing, okay?"

Her eyes darkened to an indigo blue while she listened to the story of Xander and Batman's meeting. When he finished, she looked ready to explode.

"Love..." he said in a soothing voice, touching her arm lightly. The muscles seemed like bands of steel. "I know you're pissed, but let's get off the warpath for a second and think about it."

"What is there to _think about_?" she roared, but Xander held his ground. "He investigated my _boyfriend_, threatened you, and you want me to _think_?"

"I would have done the same if the situation was reversed, love." he replied calmly.

"_What?" _she screeched.

"Think about it, Di. He's like the King of Paranoia, you give him a grain of dirt and he'll end up arresting a guy in Timbuktu. Then you have me, an absolute nobody with an ...interesting past, who suddenly drops in the life of Wonder Woman, super heroine, Amazon Princess and a Justice Leaguer to boot. Of course he connected the dots and reached all kinds of wrong conclusions. I'm just intrigued why he didn't harass me earlier."

Diana stopped her silent ranting and her mental musings of bloody murder. "I know why," she said, voice cold and rational.

"Explain it to me?" he asked, really curious.

"I think I know how he thinks. The moment you saved me and I denoted some interest in your well being, he probably started researching about the robbery and the thieves, trying to find a connection between you both, to see if it was a scam to approach me."

"It failed, because amazingly as it is, it was pure dumb luck," he said.

"Exactly. Then we started going out, and he probably kept checking on you, hitting blanks all the time. You had no suspicious phone calls, no money being transferred to your account, nothing."

Xander only nodded. It made sense, from this angle.

"Then he got frustrated, and he probably decided to take a more… shall we say, 'active' role in his research, and decided to invade the Council's files. It showed mostly who Alexander Harris is, but it did not paint the entire picture, so he decided to pay you a visit. It was supposed to be silent, but it backfired on him, and he confronted you."

"And I guess I managed to convince him I'm not the devil in disguise, and he agreed to train me," Xander concluded, with a smile.

"No, you got it all wrong," Diana said, still angered. "He 'invited' you to train for two reasons. One, he is truly concerned of what could happen to you, and I agree with him. But his major reason is that he gets to keep a close eye on you."

"I know that, Di, I'm not that naïve. But would you let the chance of training with Batman slip? Even with me not being in the front lines anymore, trouble seems to follow us around. Being prepared is never of the bad. Besides, I have nothing to fear from him."

"I guess you're right," she said, her anger diminishing.

"Now that I saved Batman the trouble of finding batsuits a head shorter, wanna see the rest of the compound?" he asked with a smile.

"Sure, let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, might go up later.

**Author's Notes: **Thanks this time go to Tenhawk for a few ideas. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**A/N 2: **Chapter 6 formatting has been corrected.

**WARNING:** Not beta read. You've been warned!

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

They walked the entire property, talking about a lot of subjects, the Batman matter forgotten in light of two people in love. Xander pointed several spots in the property and told the stories about them. They agreed to come back during the summer to enjoy a few of them, including some very secluded ones.

They eventually reached the stables, and Diana was introduced to Marissa, the Texan Slayer who enjoyed riding more than slaying.

"You see, Marissa here was one of the first baby Slayers that came to train, and by that time the horse breeding program was virtually non-existent. We had a few horses from the old owner, being maintained by the staff. Lone Star here, when she wasn't sleeping or training could be found here tending the horses or riding around the property."

"Ah do like them more than sum people," the shy Slayer said, while brushing a mare.

"Yup. When she graduated, we offered her the same choice we offer the other Slayers, go back to normal life or join the fight. Then she goes to Giles and says…"

Marissa halted him. "Your accent is awful, Xander, even when you're joking. Ah said to Mr. Giles 'Ah am a Slayer, but ah don't wanna hunt no demons, Mr. Giles. But if you'll let me, ah'll treat your horses damned fine. Might even bring one or two to competition level, or maybe turn them into a breedin' program, and bring some nickels to this place.'"

"True, and in that we found the perfect excuse to have so many young girls around the property at any given time, we're considered one of the most selective Horseback Riding schools in all England," he concluded.

"Even when sum' girls haven't ever sat in no damned saddle."

Xander and Diana laughed with her, and Marissa asked if the Amazon wanted to ride a little.

"Only if Xander joins me," she completed, looking to her boyfriend. Both he and the Texan laughed at the same time.

"Sorry, hon, Marissa and I, we had a bad experience with me riding a horse."

"What happened?" she asked, worried.

"Let's say that having only one eye brings a whole new meaning to motion sickness. And helping someone unsaddle when this someone is looking particularly green is _not_ a good idea."

Diana laughed, but chose to ride later, she wanted to know the rest of the place.

* * *

They eventually reached the training area, and at first look, Diana could see it was the most renovated place in the entire property. The outside still kept the old classical look, but the inside was barely recognizable as such. They entered trough a set of double doors, and they met a man that looked the real life version of one of Flash's favorite cartoons.

"Ah, the man I wished to see. Sergeant," Xander saluted crisply.

"Sir, good to see you again, sir," the man returned the salute with even more crispness and a big smile on his face. Diana noticed that the sergeant treated Xander with the same respect as he would a superior officer. Then they engaged in a strong back-slapping hug, like old comrades.

"How are you, you old fart?" Xander asked, the same big smile reflected on his own face.

"I'm good, sir. Life's being kind to me. And who is this lovely lady?" the big man asked politely.

"Princess Diana of Themyscira, allow me to introduce you to USMC Gunnery Sergeant (ret.) James Theodore Arlington, our Drill Instructor, or as the girls nicknamed him, Sergeant Slaughter. Jim, this is my girlfriend, Diana."

"Ma'am," the -apparently- retired US Marine replied politely, with a nod.

"Sergeant," she acknowledged him with a smile.

"I'm giving her the nickel tour, Jim, and she denoted some interest last night in sparring with the girls. They up for it?"

"They better be, or I'll make them run ten times around the property," he said to them, a wolfish grin in place.

"Wanna give it a go, Di?"

"Sure," she said.

"Lockers are that way, ma'am. You'll find some training gear to your size in there."

"I have something even better," she said. Xander shrugged to the sergeant's inquisitive look.

"Okay. If you'll follow me, sir, ma'am," he said, opening another set of doors. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he bellowed. "TEN-SHUN!"

The Slayers, all fifteen of them, were in various stages of their PT. They stopped immediately, forming a line right in front of the drill sergeant.

"Okay, ladies, with this gods be damned weather outside, we've been restricted to working indoors for most of the time you've been here. You don't like it, I don't like it, but that's what God ordered, so how can I compete with the Man? However, Santa was kind to us this year, and he decided to drop an earlier Christmas gift to us. I give you ladies Mr. Xander Harris," he said, stepping to a side.

Xander stood up straighter, eye riveted in the young, sometimes annoyed, faces. "Hello, girls. As Sgt. Slaughter here said, I brought you girls a small gift, if she will allow me to introduce her as such," turning to Diana, who nodded with a smile. "Well, she's my girlfriend and she knows how to fight a little bit, so she wanted to try her mettle against, what? One?" he looked to her, and she shook her head, still smiling. "Two?" another shake. "How many?"

"Let's start with five and go from there?" Diana asked, seeing the incredible look of awe reflected in the young girls' faces.

"Okay, five Slayers. Sergeant, can you pick the first five victims?"

Slaughter pointed five girls, and the others pouted and groaned, but walked a few meters back.

"Ah," Xander interrupted, while Diana walked to another spot in the ground. "I forgot the introductions. Ladies, I give you Diana of Themyscira, Amazon Princess, and known to the general public as Wonder Woman!" he said, clapping his hands heartily, the Slayers following the action.

Diana spun around her own axis, and after a brief flare of magic, her normal clothes changed to the well-known body armor.

"Okay, the only rules are no killing, and no permanent damage. Begin," Xander said, and as soon as he ended the word, two Slayers were already trading blows with her. Soon, all five of them were fighting like mad, trying to score a good one to end the fight. However, Xander noticed, they were being stupid, each one was fighting for herself, so each punch went one different way, allowing Diana to either dodge or use the punch to her benefit. So far, one girl had punched the other in the leg, and one jaw would be getting quite a bruise in the next couple hours.

"Who's been training the girls?" Xander asked, really worried with what he was seeing.

"Ms. Mayer's been lacking on her training since her relationship with Ms. Rosenberg ended. Ms. Summers has warned her already, and things started to improve, but not very much," the big man said, disgust clear in his voice. Xander knew the man didn't give a damn to homosexual relationships, but he would call an aerial strike against anyone who botched his training, willingly or not. The old sarge was very much aware that bad training equaled dead troops. "COME ON, THIS ISN'T A PILLOW FIGHT! HIT HER!" he screamed.

One of the Slayers was thrown ten feet in the air, landing painfully sprawled near the other girls waiting for a chance.

"WONDER WOMAN HEARD ME! NOW COME ON, HIT HER!" Slaughter bellowed again.

One of the girls finally managed to hit a solid kick to Diana's side, but the Amazon simply grabbed the leg still extended, and twisted her body, using the girl almost as a staff. It had the desired effect of shoving two girls aside and the almost unfortunate effect of stretching a few of the girl's leg muscles way beyond of what they were able to. The girl screamed and rolled away as soon as Diana let the leg go.

Xander screamed "FLESH WOUND, KEEP GOING!" when she noticed Diana almost stopping the fight. It didn't make that much of a difference, seven seconds later it was all over, Diana standing in a relaxed pose, not even flushed, and the five Slayers out of the fight for a reason or other. Her boyfriend approached her and whispered in her ear.

"I know it wasn't the intention, it was just for fun, but I noticed one thing here that I need to address, and I need your help in proving it. You mind?"

Diana nodded an affirmative. "I know what you're going to say and I agree. Go ahead."

"Okay, people, gather round. You need medical assistance?" he asked to the limping Slayer. The girl shook her head, while flexing her injured leg several times. Xander knew that in a couple of hours the girl could run a marathon without breaking a sweat, so he decided to let the matter go. Besides, he needed everyone to hear what he had to say.

"Why did you girls lose?" he asked to the five of them who had been on the sparring match.

"She's stronger and faster than we are?" one of the Slayers spoke out loud.

"Did you see 'stronger' or 'faster' being used by Diana here?" he asked to the group in general. It was true, Diana hasn't used any of her fabled powers, just dexterity and some simple judo moves to disable all the Slayers. Sure, it was her superhuman senses which allowed her to follow the moves being thrown her way, but any older vampire would have seen such moves, plus she had used one of the first rules of combat, never show your enemy what you're truly capable of. "If she was truly an enemy, we'd have to purchase five caskets or worse. Now, I'm asking again, why did you girls lose?"

The silence was oppressive, and Xander noticed with the corner of his eye that Slaughter, standing by his side, was fuming.

"Teamwork," one girl finally answered shyly, from the back.

"Yes, teamwork. What's your name?" Xander asked, glad with the answer.

"Tamara, sir," she answered in a slightly accented English.

"Okay, Tamara. Care to explain how you reached such a conclusion?"

The girl, olive-skinned and around sixteen years old, looked to her sister Slayers who were watching her with a mix of curiosity and hatred. She gulped her fears and looked to Xander.

"They weren't fighting as a team. It seemed as every one of them was fighting Wonder Woman one on one, not caring with the sister fighting at her side. I've seen they bump and hit each other several times, and Wonder Woman used this as an advantage."

"Perfect. Now, what's the First Rule of Slaying?" the one eyed man asked.

"DON'T DIE!" they all screamed as one.

"Now, suppose this is a real fight, with an enemy exactly like Wonder Woman, strength and speed. How do you win?"

"Running away?" one of the girls asked, earning a laugh from Xander and the rest of her sisters.

"If you are alone, that's exactly what you do. No stupid hero sacrifices, if it can be avoided. And if you aren't alone? Suppose there are fourteen sisters just like yourself to back you up. How do you win?"

They stood silent for a few moments, until one of them spoke. "We have to use the numbers in our favor. Let's make thirteen of us fight or try to block her while one or two try the killing stroke."

"You have one minute to implement such a plan and make it work. Begin."

The fifteen girls were surprised for a moment, but as soon as they noticed the serious faces in Xander, Diana and the sarge, they scurried to a corner and started planning like mad.

After the minute had passed, Diana was standing in the middle of the training room, which was fairly large, waiting for them, in a relaxed pose. The girls were all armed with training weapons: wooden swords, quarterstaffs and rubber stakes. However, only thirteen of them were visible, the other two were nowhere in sight.

No order to begin was given, the thirteen girls suddenly started to move, three of them coming to a frontal attack, while the other ten split themselves to try flanking her. Diana, as soon as she saw movement, started moving herself.

Two strikes came at the same time, one quarterstaff aiming at her head and another sword stroke at her left knee. The Amazon simply twisted her body, pushing the left leg to her back while her right arm climbed to a guard position. It was a simple karate move, but it worked perfectly. The sword strike missed, and the quarterstaff hit with enough force to break an arm and still damage the head being guarded. However, this particular movement wasn't designed with Wonder Woman in mind or the power of a Slayer behind it, so the weakest part had to give. In this case, the bamboo staff broke in two neat pieces against Diana's enchanted bracelet.

She didn't even stop to appreciate this minor victory, instead she dropped down immediately, which saved her neck from a 'decap' strike, while she leg-swoop another Slayer. Continuing the movement, she planted both legs firmly on the ground and powered up, jumping above the Slayers' heads. Twisting her body mid-jump allowed her to land facing the back of the center group.

The Slayer with the broken staff was the first to react to the new dynamic, and without turning around, she used the remainder of the staff to strike backwards, surprising both women when it hit with amazing force, enough to splinter it into uselessness and to unbalance Wonder Woman for less than a second.

For the three Slayers, it was enough time to prepare another offensive. They turned around and moved to finish it off. Central girl, being without a weapon, took a simple step back, enough to clear the way for her two sisters, who were both armed with wooden swords.

The duo struck at the same time, but it only served to prove their lack of training. Diana took one step back, clearing the range of both swords, which crossed harmlessly in front of her.

Faster than the human eye could follow, Wonder Woman simply grabbed both tips before they uncrossed and pulled them both in the direction they where pointing. The Slayers had to let the bokken go or be pulled along with them. However, they were both badly unbalanced, and a now armed Diana moved again.

Taking two steps forward, she kicked the one who had back stepped a mere moment ago and the girl flew backwards, out of commission. In the same movement, she hit both other girls with the stolen swords, mid back, with almost enough strength to break their spines. She didn't, but the two were out of the fight as well.

The ten remaining Slayers formed a semi-circle right in front of her, and while they were something to be concerned with, they weren't the biggest threat.

From the looks of it, the two hidden ones would try a long range attack. She had to be ready for it, but first...

Diana let one of the guardless bokken slide through her hand until she was holding it in a reverse grip. She changed her stance and beckoned the Slayers forward, with a predatorial grin.

"This is going to hurt," someone murmured.

How right she was.

* * *

Buffy entered the gymnasium at a dead run, using every ounce of her Slayer speed. She stopped right to the side of Xander and the Sarge.

"What did I miss?" she asked, not even breathless.

"The first pages of me finding new reasons to ream Kennedy a new one," he said, clearly pissed. "Where's the rest of the gang?"

"Willow Express." As soon as she said that, a flare of magic deposited the redhead, plus Faith, Giles and Dawn right at their sides. "Come on, it can't be that bad."

"Check it out for yourself, Buff."

Buffy looked to the fight and cringed. It was obvious since the idea of Diana sparring that she would have to tone down her considerable powers as not to hurt anyone severely. Apparently, she was doing so, and from Buffy's point of view and experience, she was going at them almost as a Master Vampire would, speed and strength wise. The Slayers, however, were a severe disappointment.

They were using hit-and-run tactics, effective against an enemy of Wonder Woman's caliber, but they were missing several obvious hits, while apparently trying to corner Diana. From the thirteen girls who started the fight, eight were already down.

One girl, a brunette, did the almost impossible for a Slayer and overbalanced after a clumsy sword strike. Diana didn't miss the opportunity and struck with the bokken held in the reverse grip, turning her body sideways to the remaining Slayers.

And then, in this particular moment, the tide of the mock-up battle changed.

* * *

Diana was having a lot of fun, sparring with those Slayers was a lot like sparring against her Amazon sisters, however those girls were severely lacking in training.

Sure, they were good enough to face almost any mortal on the planet, but against their natural enemies, they would have serious problems.

She had dealt with another one when the girl directly at her left side struck clumsy and overbalanced. Diana reacted instinctively and twisted her body, sword hitting the Slayer perfectly under the ribcage.

That's when her rational brain caught up with the movement.

The Slayers had bad training, true, but they were not clumsy or prone to overbalancing after so simple a hit. So, when the girl right in front of her sidestepped, she knew she had been had.

Her eyes caught one of the missing Slayers from the beginning of the fight, lying prone on the ground in a secluded spot to a distance, right behind some weight lifting machines. And she was holding a sniper rifle.

Using every ounce of her fabled reflexes, she aligned both bracelets to deflect the shot. She felt something splat softly against them not a moment later, but at the same time something else hit the back of her neck.

The remaining Slayers promptly backed away cheering, while she probed her neck with her hand.

Something warm and sticky was spread there. Was she bleeding? Did she fall in a trap? And why she wasn't feeling any pain?

Diana brought her hand forward, and it took a moment for her brain to register what she was seeing.

Yellow paint?

* * *

Amidst the cheering, the fifteen Slayers heard Xander clapping slowly, sided by Buffy and Sgt. Slaughter, the trio looking sour.

"Congratulations, you won," he said, and the girls cheered again, but stopped as soon as they noticed the faces hadn't changed. "But did you?" he continued.

The Slayers got silent.

"Wonder Woman is dead, your plan worked, the double sniper spot was a good idea, but at the cost of nine of your sisters' lives. And she wasn't even fighting that hard."

At several yells of 'What?' and 'No way', Xander turned to Buffy.

"Buffy? In your opinion, what they were facing?"

"A Master Vampire, like Angelus or Spike."

"That can't be. I don't believe you," one of the girls challenged.

Instead of arguing, Buffy turned to Diana, who was fumbling with the paintball stains in her hair and neck and her bracelets.

"Do you mind proving them wrong, Princess?"

"Only if you don't call me Diana, Buffy," she said with a half-smile, trying to get rid of the yellow and orange stains. Willow approached her and smiled.

"Allow me," the redhead said, and with a small wave of her hand, the stains disappeared.

"Thank you, Willow," Diana said, grateful.

"You're welcome," the witch replied.

"Shall we?" Buffy asked, pointing to the center of the large gym.

Diana walked to a spot and Buffy stood ten feet away from her.

They both entered combat stances and the witnesses held their collective breaths.


	8. Chapter 8

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, might go up later.

**Author's Notes: **Thanks this time go to Marc D. and Kosh Len for the beta reading. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

They waited five seconds, then ten, then half a minute, then a full minute. Neither Diana nor Buffy moved from their initial positions, they seemed like two statues. The Slayers were eyeing them warily, while the Scoobs seemed to be silently cheering, Faith up to the point to be restlessly moving from side to side, as if seeing a ball game of some sort. After another minute had passed, Buffy moved slowly and bowed respectfully, Diana reciprocating one moment later. 

"Now that this is out of the way, care to have some fun?" Buffy asked jovially.

"Sure," Diana said, and they returned to their previous stances, this time more relaxed than before. Before they started, Faith called out.

"Hey, B, who won?"

"She did, did you have any doubt?" Buffy said, still smiling in her best cheerleader mode.

"Nope, had faith in you," she grumbled, slapping a twenty into Dawn's hand.

"You bet against me?" Buffy asked incredulously to her sister.

"Buffy, I love you, but you gotta remember who has the brains in this family, right? Besides, I don't take sucker bets."

Buffy stuck her tongue out to her sister, and turned back to Diana. "Now that the backstabbing has been revealed, let's play?"

"Sure," Diana said, but before they could move, one of the baby Slayers screamed.

"Wait up. WAIT. UP. What happened here? Who won what? They didn't even move. What the heck is going on?"

Giles decided to answer. "Ms. Treadwalker, you have to remember that not all the battles are fought in the physical realm. Buffy and Diana fought, but you could say that their spirits did, instead of her bodies. Warriors of their magnitude and experience can fight in their minds and decide a battle before any of them moves a muscle."

"Is that even possible?" another girl asked.

"Yes, it is," Diana answered this time. "You could say that in our minds we planned a fight, rehearsed it and engaged in it. There is a Japanese saying that states that a good swordsman knows where his feet will be in the beginning of a fight, a master swordsman knows where his feet will be at the end of a fight."

"And that's why she won," Buffy completed. "It's all about knowing yourself and your adversary, she has too many advantages for me to beat her. There's always the unknown factor, but in most cases, Wonder Woman will win over a Slayer, any Slayer." She focused her attention back to Diana. "Now, before anyone else interrupts us, let us have some fun."

And suddenly, two blurs moved.

* * *

Buffy knew she would have no chance if they got into a rhythm or kept to a single style. Diana was stronger, _way _stronger, and had a longer reach. And that was not even considering her powers of flight or that which the lasso offered. She'd have to strike hard and fast into places that would immobilize in a definite way. 

The first punches and kicks Buffy threw had no pattern or definite aim to them, aside from testing Diana's speed and reflexes. The Slayer had a slight hope that she was a bit faster than the Princess, if she went flat out.

As predicted, the Amazon Princess deflected most of them, but a few, the most obvious misses, she let pass. Good, that meant that Diana wouldn't bother with stupid maneuvers. Diana then started hitting back, in almost the same unmarked pattern Buffy was using, to test the other woman. Buffy, instead of deflecting the shots, decided to dodge most of them.

She then took one step back, hands held in an almost relaxed position.

"You're good," Diana said, smiling.

"Thank you, Princess, you're not too shabby yourself," Buffy said.

"What did I say about you calling me Princess?" she said, both circling the other.

"It's my trademark, I like to annoy people I'm fighting against," she quipped.

"You know it actually doesn't annoy me, right? I just don't want to be treated as the Princess by Xander's friends," Diana replied, setting in another stance.

"Don't worry, you won't. We've seen our share of amazing things to be impressed by an Amazon Princess," Buffy replied, but she caught what she had just said. "Not to say you're not impressive, you are, but…" she continued, trying to cover it up.

Diana actually laughed. "I know what you mean, and as long as you treat me as a friend, we are, as you Americans says, 'cool'."

"Cool," Buffy said, and laughed as well.

"HEY! Are you going to fight or talk?" Faith bellowed.

Buffy turned to her sister Slayer and poked her tongue.

"Don't mind her, it's the hormones talking," Buffy said to an amused Diana.

"I think it's better if we continue our sparring match, the masses are getting restless."

"I agree."

And then, without any other words, their fighting restarted. Buffy tried a double kick, first up then down, as fast as she could. Diana deflected the first easily, but the second she almost didn't get, the power behind it making her arm sting a bit. She had to get on the defensive fast. Buffy did not waste any time and tried a combo of punches, elbow and knee hits, and close enough so Diana's longer reach would be a hindrance to the Amazonian Princess, instead of an advantage. She tried to take one step back, and the blonde capitalized on the movement, kicking her hard on the stomach. Diana flew a few feet back, and only her intense training kept her standing.

Buffy tried to hit her again, but Wonder Woman grabbed the forearm and twisted, trying to turn her around while affecting an arm lock. The Slayer went with it up to a certain point and flexed her mystically enhanced legs, pushing against Diana and making them both unbalance. The tall brunette had to let her go before they both fell onto the training mats. Buffy turned quickly to try and leg-sweep her, but found that her opponent wasn't in position anymore. A punch grazed her jaw, making the Californian see some stars for a few moments.

She cursed inwardly, if one badly aimed shot made her see stars, a good one would put her in a hospital. She retreated for a few moments to take a breather, Diana, thankfully, allowing her to do so. She had to come closer again to be effective, and she knew the Amazon wouldn't fall for a trap. She tried with kicks again, this time a frontal one aimed at the Themyscirian's chest; but she just hit the bracelets with such force she almost broke her ankle while doing so. Diana followed the movement by grabbing the leg and pushing. Buffy yelped and flew for a few meters, landing close to the dumbstruck baby Slayers. She noticed two of them holding staves.

"Perfect. You mind?" she asked the girls for them. They shook their heads dumbly, giving both to her. Without looking, she threw one back, knowing that Diana would grab it easily. She ran full tilt in the direction of the Amazon, and without stopping, they crossed them five times before Diana had to dodge the small running missile. Buffy turned around and her staff blocked a few hits the Princess sent her way.

They kept the staff work for a while, arms vibrating strongly with the power being used behind the attacks. Then, in one of the attacks, while trying to defend against and overhand blow, Diana's staff broke in half. Not even thinking about it, she changed stances and attacked with both halves, Buffy having to compensate madly with the change of speed of the attacks. She back stepped one second, both her hands meeting at the center of the staff, and as easily as if she was breaking a twig, she broke her own staff in two and advanced again.

She got one good hit on the Princes's left leg, making her wince. Diana promptly retreated, assuming a defensive stance, keeping her weight off of her injured leg while her healing started working its magic. Buffy pressed on the attack, but it seemed as if she was fighting against a steel wall, _none_ of her hits were going through Diana's defenses. She started pouring on speed, their arms becoming blurs and that's when a series of cascading events signaled the end of the fight.

First, when she sped the attacks, she inadvertently entered a rhythm, and at such speeds, controlling her strength became a problem. So, first Diana noticed the rhythm, and while it became harder for her to actually block the hits, the pattern became predictable. So, when the next sequence started, not two seconds later, Diana simply moved her arm, and instead of catching the hit in the half-staff, Buffy hit the bracelet in her left arm, turning one of her halves into toothpicks. Surprised with the suddenness of the defense and her loss of a weapon, the Slayer froze for a mere moment.

Diana took advantage of her surprise, and in three simple moves, one to effectively disarm, one to immobilize and the last one to cross the halves under Buffy's neck, she ended the fight.

Buffy smiled and retreated, Wonder Woman uncrossed the halves and bowed, the Slayer reciprocating a second later.

"Good one. Care for another go?"

"Why not?" Diana smiled, and the fight was on again.

* * *

They kept going at it for quite a while, the baby Slayers, after some time, stopped gaping and started analyzing how they were sparring. The sergeant approached them and started pointing out the do and do nots, effectively turning it into an excellent learning opportunity. Buffy and Diana noticed, and now, instead of fighting full out, they started going through steps, showing the other girls how they could fight better. 

Faith, seeing Xander alone, sitting in one of the benches spread through the large gym, approached.

"Hey, X," she said, and without asking, sat by his side.

"Hey, Faith," he replied with a small smile, eye still focused in his girlfriend and his best friend sparring.

"B's good," she said, matter of factly, and Xander noticed there wasn't a hint of jealousy in the Dark Slayer voice. The woman finally had found her peace. Thank the Gods.

"Yup, but she still has to win," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but it'll be because of luck. Wonder Chick is better than she is. Oh, how I want to have a go at her," she said, slightly annoyed.

"Don't worry, Faith, Lil'Hope will be gracing our ugly mugs soon and then we can set something up," Xander said with a smile.

"Yeah," she replied with a smile, and the silence stretched for a bit. "Look, X…"

The tone of her voice made him turn his focus to her.

"Anything wrong, Faith? Is Hope okay?" he asked worried, his eye suddenly focused on her belly.

"No, no. Everything's cool, she's fine, and the doc says everything's as supposed to be. I wanted to ask you…did you tell her?" Faith asked, nudging her head in the direction of the Amazon.

"Tell her what?" Xander asked.

"That you are…well, y'know…" she said, pointing to her obvious pregnancy.

The one-eyed foreman smiled. "Faith, I just lent you and Robin the swimming buddies. As far as I'm concerned, he is the father of Hope, I'm glad in just being Uncle Xander."

"You're not," she replied instantly.

"I'm not what?" he questioned, surprised.

"Her uncle. Sherwood and I decided you're way better than uncle material. Say hello to your goddaughter, X," she said with a huge smile.

"Y-you're sure?" he asked, his throat constricting.

"Yup," she said, smile still in place, and not even her Slayer speed prepared her for the sudden hug Xander gave her.

"Who's the godmother?" he asked after a while.

"Who do ya think?" she asked, pointing to the pair sparring a few feet away from them.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah," the second oldest living Slayer replied, the smile in her face showing how far she had come in life, her shaky and dark past growing into a solid and bright future, surrounded by people who lover her. "So, you gonna tell the Chick?"

Xander thought it over for a few moments. "Yeah, no need to keep it a secret, it's not as if I betrayed her, is it?"

"Nope, but be careful when you explain it, she might feel threatened by you being a father already," she pointed.

"Biological father, she is Robin's girl, Faith. And my goddaughter," he said, tasting the word.

"Just…be careful, X. She's a cool lady, I don't wanna see this coming between the both of ya," Faith pointed.

Xander smiled. "Thanks, Faith. I'll tell her tonight, okay? And if I need help with it, I'll talk with you and Robin."

Faith smiled. "We'll be there."

* * *

The sparring session turned combat lesson stretched for a few more hours yet. When they were both finished, Diana sported a split lip and several bruises, while Buffy had a blackened eye and was limping slightly, but the smiles on both their faces could light up London. 

"Had a good time, ladies?" Xander asked, approaching the duo. He wasn't even slightly worried about their multiple bruises and small cuts, he knew that in a few hours Diana would be whole again and in the next morning Buffy would be the same. Besides, the smiles told him that they had formed a bond, one of friendship and camaraderie between warriors, not unlike the one he had with the Scoobs.

"She is _good_, Xander!" Diana said, pointing to the Slayer, who blushed badly.

"Told ya," he said to his girlfriend, who hugged him almost painfully. She had a glint in her eyes, one he had learned a long time ago meant that the sparring had left her _horny_. Xander gulped, but situation turned even worse when she kissed him, _hard_, not minding her lip.

"Oh, God," he murmured, and Buffy snickered to his side. He turned to her with a glare, but the effect was dimmed when he saw her smiling at him knowingly.

"Don't let me hold you, guys," she said with a smile.

Diana didn't say a word, she started dragging him away. As soon as the door closed behind the departing couple, the Scoobies dissolved into fits of laughter.

* * *

Dinner was another situation, Xander had a happy smile plastered on his face, while the Amazon only sported a slight smirk. Faith took the opportunity to unbalance Xander even more. 

"Someone is happy tonight," she said in a casual tone, eyeing the ex-Watcher, who reddened worse than Willow.

"You have _no_ idea," Diana said, winking to her.

It was enough for Buffy to spit her mouthful of water right in Giles' face.

* * *

After dinner ended, the Princess invited Xander to a stroll by the moonlight. He agreed, and soon the couple was walking among the snowed paths, the full moon in an impressive clear sky illuminating their way. 

"Thank you for this afternoon, love," Diana replied, holding his hand.

"You're welcome. I almost thought we would…" he trailed off, not really sure he was prepared to continue this particular conversation.

"Make love?" she completed for him, to which he nodded. "Not yet, love. I'm not ready, you're not comfortable with the idea, if we tried something now it would not be a good experience for us. So, let's keep growing into it and exploring new levels of intimacy, okay?" she asked.

"Sure, Di. Only when we're both ready. But let me tell you, if this afternoon was any indication, I can't wait," he said, his smile growing with the memories.

"Thank you, love. Now, are you warm enough?" she asked, the moonlight reflecting in her pale blue eyes.

"Yes, quite. Why?"

"I remember something you said when you entered the jet. You treat me so much like a human being that I sometimes forget who I really am," she pointed.

"You're Diana, the woman I love. And I just need that," he replied.

"Yes, Xander, and for that, I thank you. But I'm also Wonder Woman, and that comes with a few nice…upgrades," she said, and grabbed him in a hug, their lips automatically closing onto each other.

They remained like that for a while, and when they split, Xander looked into her eyes.

"You know, I almost don't believe I ended up this lucky. You make me feel like I'm flying with a single kiss," he replied, to what Diana giggled. "What?"

"Funny you should mention it. Look down," she said.

Xander looked.

They were hovering six feet above the ground.

"Wow," he said with a huge smile, sounding too much like a kid at Christmas morning.

"Want to give a stroll around the area, courtesy of Wonder Woman Airlines?" she asked, glad with his reaction.

He was so dumbstruck that he only managed to nod dumbly. And in a few moments, they had disappeared in the night sky.

In one of the Pad's window, a redhead smiled knowingly.

"Some guys have all the luck," she said, really happy for her best friend.

* * *

The next morning found them walking through the nearby areas, checking up everything of interest they had spotted on their flight the previous night, including Stonehenge. They were now currently sitting in a small café in a town nearby, when Xander decided to talk about Hope. 

"…and they asked me for help. They thought about Giles as well, but his age became a concern, so they came to me, and after the obvious 'Me? Really?' moments, I decided to help them out. You're not mad, are you?"

Diana smiled, sipping a bit of tea. "For you wanting to help a friend? Why should I? It's who you are, love, and one of the reasons why I love you. No, I'm not mad. Did you sleep with her?"

Xander shook his head. "No, we used artificial insemination. She offered, so we could spare a few bucks, but we were all uncomfortable with the idea."

"I can imagine," she replied. "So that means you are a father."

"I'm a godfather, Di. Yeah, I'll love her and spoil her rotten, but she's Robin in all the things that matter," he said, a bit of sadness in his voice.

"You want a child yourself," Wonder Woman concluded.

Xander remained mute for a while, looking to the distance. "Yeah," he said, after some time. "I've seen so much death and destruction to last me ten lifetimes, Di, and I'm tired of it. I want to start building things instead of destroying them."

"You already are," she said, squeezing his hand across the table. "You helped build this new Council, we are building this relationship and the future is there, waiting for us. Who knows what it will bring?"

He smiled slightly. "I wonder sometimes when you're going to wake up."

She looked into his eye, seeing all the problems his troubled background had pressing on their relationship.

"Well, in my mind, I'm going to wake up one day curled against my husband, kiss him good morning, stand up and check on our sleeping children. Then I'm going to go back to bed and make love to him, just to thank the Gods for the wonderful life they gave me."

"Lucky guy," he said, saddened.

"Yes, you are," she replied and kissed him.

* * *

As everything else in the world, their small vacation had to come to an end the following afternoon. She was needed back in the satellite and he had his job finishing the Council's HQ in Metropolis. The goodbyes were said, with a promise to meet the gang for Christmas if the gods allowed, and she, Xander and Faith had a small private talk regarding Hope, which went very good for all the involved. 

She left him back at his home and went back to the satellite. It was a calm night, and when she landed her jet in the designated area, she saw Batman coming to talk to her.

"Hello, Dia-hurrk," he grunted, when her hand held his neck in a steel grip, lifting him a foot above the ground. He almost reacted, but he knew that this would eventually happen.

"Do something like that again, Batman, and I might forget we are allies," she replied with steel in her voice. Then she let him go, and he landed smoothly, massaging his neck. She stormed out, but stopped at the hangar's door, speaking over her shoulder.

"And Batman?" she said in her normal tone of voice. "Thanks for caring."


	9. Chapter 9

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, might go up later.

**Author's Notes: **Thanks this time go to Marc D. for a few (A lot of them, Marc, thank you!) ideas. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

Diana was happy, so happy she was humming an old lullaby her mother user to sing to her when she was little. The tragedies and events that usually kept the League busy seemed to be at an incredible low point for this past week, so she had freed herself earlier than intended, called Xander and set up some plans for dinner and dancing. And now she was approaching the Metropolis dock area, the invisible jet skimming low over the ocean, the light snowfall just enough to set the mood for Christmas.

That's when Murphy's Law decided to interfere.

The explosion happened almost in front of the jet. With quite a bit of nimble maneuvering, she escaped the fireball, and in seconds she left the jet in hover mode, the canopy opened and she took the air, going straight to the huge hole in the warehouse's roof. There were debris everywhere, and only a few scattered flames left after the blast. However, through the smoke, she could see movement down below. Wonder Woman entered the warehouse, carefully checking if something else might explode.

That's when her night of dinner and dancing really went to hell. Scurrying around the big warehouse, like oversized rats, were the foot soldiers of Darkseid, the parademons, carrying a few boxes to a pre-determined point in the ground, while a few others were taking care of the corpses of two demons that had been caught up in the blast. She landed quickly, before any of the soldiers had a chance to shoot her. Using the old adage of 'hit first, ask questions to their unconscious bodies later', the Amazon was quick to engage them.

Soon, only a few of them were left standing. Finding herself with a bit of breathing room, she activated her communicator located behind her ear.

"Wonder Woman to Watchtower, we have a…" she started, but her natural instincts alerted her that there was still danger afoot. Someone was approaching from behind her. Even as she started to turn, she knew it would be too late.

The hit caught her right in the base of the neck, and she flew through several walls until she landed in a heap, and the darkness engulfed her.

* * *

Xander was pacing like a madman, Diana was four hours late and her personal number continued to go unanswered. He hit redial once more. To his consternation, the phone rang and rang and rang, but she wasn't picking it up. He turned the TV on to check the news once again, and that's when something caught his eye.

"…police and the fire department are still checking out the damage in the warehouse district. Information is still sketchy at this point, but it seems that Wonder Woman, from the Justice League, engaged an unknown assailant and was seriously injured in the process. We have been told that Superman has taken her to parts unknown, and we're still waiting for more information on the matter. This is…"

His grip on the remote control tightened, causing the plastic to crack, as his worry suddenly turned into full blown panic. With a trembling hand, he frantically pressed redial once again, and got the same results, no one answered the line. Xander started thinking on other venues, when he heard someone rapping on his window.

Running to the window, he opened it, and his surprise was only dimmed by his worry.

"How is she?" he asked, without even introducing himself.

"She's on the operating table. I promise you that she's being well taken care of. Alexander Harris, I believe?" the Man of Steel extended his hand. Xander had the decency to blush, and shook the offered hand.

"Y-yeah, sorry, Superman. What happened?" he asked, retreating a bit so the Kryptonian could enter through his open window.

"We don't know yet. Batman is investigating as we speak. I came to ask if you wanted to go with me to the Watchtower and be with her," he said, after landing on Xander's living room.

"Give me two minutes and I'll grab some clothes," the ex-Watcher said and ran to his room.

* * *

Kal-El, the Last Son of Krypton, was probably the most well known hero in the Galaxy. His exploits were legendary, his powers were without equal, but one of his most amazing powers had to do with his roots in his all-too-human upbringing.

His heart.

He knew that loving someone was harder than hating someone. He could see the anguish expressed on Alexander's face, and all his super senses were just corroborating what was in plain view. The man was in a panic with what was happening to Diana right now.

Diana.

He cracked a small smile when he remembered her. When they first met, her superior act rubbed him wrong, but he let his particular feelings slide, since they needed her help. Afterwards, he started noticing that her act was part upbringing and part a shield to hide her own insecurities in the 'World of Men', as she called the rest of the world.

And when they saved Themyscira from Faust, he had to control himself lest he clobber the Queen. Of course he understood their laws, and he even understood their reasoning, but _her_ _own_ daughter? When she had just saved them all from certain death?

After that, Diana, who was in no way a talkative person, closed herself off even more.

Until Alexander Harris wound up saving her life. He _overheard_ - kind of difficult not to when you had super-hearing and was constrained to a satellite surrounded by vacuum – Diana and Shayera talking about him, and how unbelievably brave he had been, and how she felt indebted to him. And how he had traded a life debt for a cup of coffee.

Clark wasn't as paranoid as Bruce was, but he had to admit that it either sounded too naïve or it all had been a plot to approach her. As time passed, he noticed that among them, her hard shell started cracking bit by bit, until the day she announced she was dating a man named Alexander Harris. Everyone voiced his or her opinion, except for Batman, and he knew that the detective probably already knew about it, and was currently investigating the man.

Batman returned one day and discreetly said to the rest of the League to leave Mr. Harris alone, he had dealt with the subject and said subject posed no threat to the rest of them.

And now, Superman finally had the chance to meet him, albeit under less than desirable circumstances, and in these first two minutes of contact, what he had seen placed the one-eyed man in the plus side of the balance.

Alexander returned holding a duffle bag and wearing a sturdy and padded leather coat over warm clothes.

"I'm ready," he said, his heartbeat still a mile a minute.

"You don't mind flying, do you?" Superman asked, opening the window again.

"Nope, Diana took me for a spin a few times now," he said, his voice choking when he said her name.

"Don't worry, she'll be all right, I have faith in her. Now, grab on to my neck," the Man of Steel said, and he promptly held tight.

"What do you know?" Xander asked while they took flight.

"I'll tell you en route," the superhero said, above the howling wind.

* * *

You didn't need super powers to tell Xander was still a mess when they were on final approach to the Watchtower. Normally the view would leave anyone open-mouthed, their jaw landing on the floor, and to a geek like him, even more so, but the thought of the woman he loved getting paralyzed over an injury kept everything else out of his mind.

"Javelin-7 on final approach to Watchtower," Superman said over the microphone.

"This is Watchtower, approach vector approved. Welcome back, Supes," Flash's voice replied.

"How is she?" Kal-El asked, for his and Alex…Xander's own peace of mind.

"Last time I heard they were stitching her closed. Operation was a success, now we just have to wait," the fastest man alive replied.

Xander let go of a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "Thank God," he said, his entire body uncoiling from the tense state he had been in.

Superman landed the spaceship easily, and they both disembarked. Suddenly, a point in space right in front of them that was previously empty now had a man wearing a red and gold costume with a thunderbolt depicted on his chest.

"Flash, this is Xander Harris, Xander, this is the Flash," Superman introduced the duo.

"Wally West," Flash said, extending his hand. His identity wasn't a secret; everyone knew who he was outside the suit. Xander shook the hand and smiled slightly.

"Xander," he replied.

"Flash, take his things to the room we prepared for him, I'll take him to see Diana," Superman said, and Xander gave the speedster his duffle bag.

"Sure thing, Supes. Talk to you later," he said to them, and he disappeared again, a streak of red was left in his wake.

"Come on, let's see your girlfriend."

* * *

Xander sat down right to the side of Diana's bed. If not for the support structure holding her in a steady position, no one would say she was hurt, the small scar and stitches were covered by her long hair. Jo'nn had explained what happened and what they had done to help her.

Someone very strong had hit her right in the base of the neck, and only luck had saved her from instant paralysis or even death. But the swelling had started affecting her spine, applying too much pressure to the area, and if they didn't operate on her quickly, to release the pressure, she could have ended up paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of her life.

Thankfully the operation had been a success, and the doctor, a specialist they brought in from Gotham, said that she would probably make a full recovery, thanks to her advanced healing powers. They were ordered to keep her sedated and relaxed for the next forty eight hours, until her body had healed enough on her own. No one was surprised when Xander chose to stay at her side until she woke up.

So far, he had met all of the Leaguers, except Batman, they had dropped by one by one to watch her and keep him in some company. Now it was Jo'nn's turn to visit.

"Sorry about the first reaction, Jo'nn," he replied sheepishly.

"I can understand, Xander, as you've told me yourself, I could easily fall into one of the 'demon' aspects of your society," the Martian said. They had gotten to first name basis after a few minutes of talking.

"But I shouldn't have reacted the way I did, I even saw a few pictures of you before meeting you face to face," he replied.

"You were, and are, under a lot of stress. It's perfectly understandable, and as many Americans seem so fond of saying, 'no harm, no foul'."

Xander nodded, and looked back to Diana. "She looks so peaceful," he said, his voice trembling with worry. "I wonder if she's dreaming."

The alien concentrated for a few moments. "She is, but nothing that makes sense, at least to me. She seems to be…humming."

The one-eyed brunette cracked a smile, the first one since the beginning of this ordeal.

"She's going to be all right."

The Martian Manhunter looked to him, and his own lips curved upward. "Yes. She will be."

* * *

The first night shift since the surgery found Xander alone, stretched in the bed next to Diana, half asleep, until he noticed a small hint of movement at the doorway. The entire room was engulfed in darkness, except for a small spot of light right above her bed, and while he was being his natural stealthy self, he wasn't really hiding from discovery.

"She's doing better," Xander said, sitting on his bed, voice rough from lack of use.

"I know, I checked the logs before coming here," Batman said, approaching him.

"Did you find out what happened?"

Batman wasn't really accustomed to sharing his findings, but he figured that Xander had a right to know.

"I found residual traces of a boom tube, and some DNA samples that belong to parademons," the Dark Knight said, looking to the Amazon Princess.

"Boom tube? Parademons?" Xander asked, confused. "Darkseid?"

Batman nodded, and Xander shook his head.

"What could he possibly want that would be stored in a Metropolis dock warehouse?"

"That is something that I am still checking. The records don't show anything worthy of Darkseid's attention."

Xander looked at Diana again. "You have any idea who could have been the one to hit Diana?"

Batman shook his head. "Anyone from his upper echelon could have done it, but with the force used, I'd have to say probably Kalibak, Darkseid's son."

"Why not Darkseid himself?"

"He's not one to dirty his own hands, and he would have used his Omega beams instead."

Xander stood up and started pacing. "What are you guys are going to do?"

"We don't have a plan yet. Going to Apokolips on a Revenge Run is stupid, not to say suicidal. We need to know what he stole and prepare accordingly."

The SoCal nodded. "You need any help?" he offered.

Batman shook his head. "No."

"I'm pretty good at research, had years of experience on the subject, and staying here while doing nothing is driving me crazy. I need something to distract me from worrying," he tried again, pointing to Diana.

"I know, but this is out of your area of expertise. I know you want to help, but the best help you can offer now is staying by her side."

Xander sat back down. "I feel so damn…worthless right now!" he ranted through clenched teeth.

A gloved hand touched his shoulder. "We all feel like that once in a while, but trust me, you're doing the right thing."

The ex-Watcher sighed and nodded, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I know."

"I have to get back to Metropolis."

"I'll tell her you dropped by," Xander promised as Batman walked out of the infirmary.

* * *

The following day wasn't that much different, Xander stood, a constant vigil, by her side all the time, stopping only for bathroom breaks and quick meals. The doctor who operated on her came for a visit and said everything was as it was supposed to be. She should, barring any complications, be awake sometime in the next 24 hours. In the meantime, he had the opportunity to talk with most of the League, and his opinions on the group of people were extremely varied.

Jo'nn, the Martian, was an old mind, something like a Giles, only with green skin and red eyes. He liked to share his experiences, and he liked to hear more about humanity, the people he adopted as his.

Flash was a big kid with a sense of humor not unlike his old self. If things were different, he could see himself wearing the red and gold outfit and making it look good.

Green Lantern and Hawkgirl were very closed up people, bordering Batman on the paranoia, and while the Bat was silent about his opinions, they were not. If his admission to the Watchtower was under a vote, he knew exactly how the duo had voted.

Superman, incredibly, was the most…human of them all. He treated Xander as an equal, and the small talk they traded was more related to his and Diana's relationship than anything else. Places they went, what he thought about dating a superhero, things like that. A particular part of their conversation was quite fresh in his mind.

* * *

"So, what's your idea of a perfect date?" he asked the Man of Steel.

"Honestly? A picnic under a tree, in someplace sunny."

"That's it?" Xander questioned, dumbfounded.

"Yes, Xander. What Diana found in you is what I want for myself, someone who sees first the man, then the Man of Steel. Being a superhero is only part of my life, true, it's a big part, but it's not everything that I am."

"And have you found someone like that?"

"I thought that I did once, but she wanted just the man, not the Superman, she couldn't bear it."

Xander noticed that he seemed to have something else to say, but decided against pressing the matter.

"You know, hearing you say that… I almost thought that Diana was just staying with me until she found someone better, someone worthy of her. Those last weeks proved how wrong I was, but listening to you…"

"Proves that we're not so different from yourself?" Superman completed, to that Xander could only nod. "Diana is a very interesting woman, and you probably know her better than any of us, but one thing I know for sure, she would never lead you on, only to abandon you in the future. If it ever happens, it will be for an entirely different reason," he said sagely.

* * *

And now he was once again alone, watching as her chest moved in a constant rhythm, the cardiac monitor blinking silently just off to the side. He cupped her chin in his hand, his thumb caressing her warm cheek.

"Hey, Di, you know what? I need you to wake up, cause I need to buy a Christmas gift for you, and I have absolutely no idea on what to buy. It's kind of difficult when I can't travel to other planets for something exotic, or use my bare hands to crush a piece of coal into a huge diamond."

"Don't need a diamond," she burred, eyes still closed. "Just you."

His heart constricted powerfully, and then started thumping like a locomotive. Her eyes opened, and the first thing she saw was the man that she loved crying.

"Hey," she said, and when she tried to move her arm, she felt something holding it in place. "What happened?"

"Hey yourself. You were attacked, someone hit you pretty badly and they had to operate on you. Let me call the guys, they'll want to check on you," Xander answered, so relieved to have her back with him the thought of concealing his tears never entered his mind.

"Okay," she replied, while he touched the comm unit at the wall.

"Guys, she's awake." And once again, no one needed super hearing to detect the joy and happiness in his voice.


	10. Chapter 10

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, might go up later.

**Author's Notes: **I'm almost giving Marc D. co-creative status. The guy's amazing. Thank you, pal. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

"ONE MONTH?"

The scream tore through the entire space station, her voice vibrating through the metallic structure, could be both heard and felt. Even those lacking enhanced senses seemed to flinch. To Xander, sitting right at ground zero, just to the side of Diana; it was almost enough to leave him permanently deaf.

"Di," he said calmly, noticing that her hands were contracting into fists, "you're scaring the nice doctor." Placing his hand on one of her clenched fists, he continued. "You know, the one who saved your life?"

Diana noticed her actions, and the effect it was having on the doctor's face and the face of her boyfriend. As she sat back down and took a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down.

"Doctor, I apologize." She said with the utmost sincerity, before continuing in a calm and rational tone. "But why a month? I feel fine."

It took the doctor a moment to compose himself, before he nodded to his patient. "No need to apologize, your Highness. I realize that you're still under a lot of stress. It is quite understandable." He paused to collect himself. "As for the timing of an entire month, my dear, you have just survived heavy trauma inflicted at the base of your neck. If not for your body's amazing ability to heal, and your quite considerable constitution, I believe we wouldn't be having this conversation, and your boyfriend here would be mourning over a casket." He paused while she, and her boyfriend, took that all in. "Please, pardon my bluntness, but I need for you to understand where I am coming from."

That served to sober Diana up and to add a gleam into Xander's eye.

The doctor went on. "I believe you will make a full recovery without any relapses whatsoever, however, we need to give time for your body to finish healing on its own, without adding additional stress to it."

"You are aware I heal much faster than any human, right?" she pointed out.

"Of course, Your Highness, that's why I'm only asking for a month, any other patient of mine, and you would be looking at six months of absolutely no physical extortion and a lot of physical therapy. One month off the 'superhero business' and a few stretching exercises every day should do the job for you."

Diana sighed, and Xander decided to add his two cents.

"Come on, Di, it's not that long, and it was a serious hit. Besides, I could do with a month of leisure; we could travel to some place calm to relax."

The Amazon sighed again, but ended up nodding in the affirmative.

"Okay, I agree."

Both the doctor and Xander gave away relived breaths.

"Good. Now let me teach you what I want you to do." the doctor said while standing up.

* * *

After Diana had repeated the moves a few times, to demonstrate her knowledge and understanding of the exercises, even to the point of offering a few suggestions, she was released for her 'month of leisure', as Xander had called it a few minutes earlier.

When they were both approaching the door, the doctor called again. "Alexander, may I speak with you for a moment?"

The couple traded a glance for a moment, and after a brief nod, Diana walked out to speak with the rest of the League.

She first met with Superman, who was busy checking the Earth from the observation deck.

"You heard?" she asked, and the Man of Steel turned to her.

"I tried not to, but it's very difficult to keep something secret from me while in here," he said with a sheepish smile. "A month, huh?"

"Yes," she sighed, and turned to the reinforced glass, checking the spinning blue planet below their feet. "Will it be a problem?"

"We'll manage, somewhat. And a month is not that long, Diana."

"I know," she said. After that, both heroes stood in the silence the observation deck offered. After a while, Xander appeared down the hall.

"Hey," he said to her, and turned to Superman. "Checking the girls taking a sunbath in… Africa?" he quipped, checking the view.

The Man of Steel looked to him, surprised, and he noticed that Diana was trying to conceal the smile behind her boyfriend. He laughed, and they followed a moment later.

"No," he said after a while, when the chuckling died out. "Mom and Dad raised me better than that," he pointed out.

Xander shrugged. "Yea, well, mine never bothered." Though the reply was somewhat shocking, there wasn't a hint of hurt in his voice, it was just a statement of fact.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" the Kryptonian started, but the one-eyed man halted him.

"Don't worry, it's not your fault and you didn't know. Even if you did there was nothing you could have done. Besides, I think I ended up better than my own greatest expectations. I mean, who would have believed I would be standing here, in the Watchtower, talking with Superman of all people, and having Di as my girlfriend?"

"I'd say pretty much no one, love." Diana pointed out, hugging him from the back.

"Where are your parents now, Xander?" Superman asked, as he observed Xander leaning into his girlfriend's embrace.

"Don't know," he said, truthfully. "I'm from Sunnydale, and I think you know what happened to the town. I had lost contact with them long before the town sunk."

"I find it amazing that it sunk so quickly and almost nobody got killed in the process," the superhero pointed out. "I did a fly-by a few hours and scanned the debris. The town was empty; I was only able to help recover a few bodies."

That brought Xander up short.

"A few…Among them was there a blonde woman, about this high, she would have been in the High School debris?" Xander asked, hope shining in his eye.

Superman shrugged. "I honestly don't remember; it happened a while ago. But everyone I recovered was taken by the rescue crew from Los Angeles. Who was she?"

"My ex-fiancée. She…"

Xander turned to Diana, looking her in the eyes, asking for a silent opinion. She nodded, and the slight squeeze she gave his hand was more than enough evidence of her support. He turned back to the Man of Steel.

"Any place where we can sit and talk? This is going to take a while."

"Sure, come on."

* * *

Superman's reaction was worse than Diana's, at least when he had originally told his girlfriend-to-be about it. Diana had been raised in a warrior's environment, while the Man of Steel apparently was not, at least from Xander's point of view. The man was open-mouthed and stiff as a board, his mind probably processing the huge amount of badness that the Sunnydaler had revealed about his past.

"Please, Superman, all I ask is that this goes no further than it already has. Batman, his almighty nosy super-detective brain, already discovered all about it, and Diana knows as well, so if you wanna talk about it, talk with them."

The man nodded dumbly, apparently still in shock with everything he heard. "W-why didn't you ask for help?" the hero asked after a long, stretched-out silence.

"Two reasons, mostly: first, people would have thought we were either a bunch of lunatics or some kids playing a prank of some sort. On most occasions, by the time we could have ended up proving it, it would be already too late to do anything about it. Second, and most important of all, is trust. We didn't know any of you guys, you were either starting your own careers or were too far away to be known. We've actually received help in the past, and have been burned badly by those same people. So, my friends and I, we made a sort of silent promise to keep things between us. And it has worked so far."

Superman shook his head, it made sense. Though, that didn't mean he had to like it. "I wonder why none of our enemies ever used a Hellmouth before, or supernatural allies."

"Actually, that's not too difficult to explain. A Hellmouth is probably the worst thing on Earth, or maybe in Creation, to mess with. You open it, and soon you'll have to deal with the worst kind of badness around. Anyone who is foolish enough to open one would soon be watching his or her own ass becoming the main course in Demon Café and Grill. As for supernatural allies like vampires or demons, there are a ton of problems in using them. First, vampires, when powerful and old enough, are usually loners, and if not, they tend to create their own clique and stay with them. If not, they're as dumb as your usual henchman, but the problem is that they're monsters, and you can't control a monster for very long, they will soon turn against you. It's the same thing with most demons. The only way you can control them is through fear, not loyalty. And even fear will only go so far, or last for so long. Again, I suppose, it comes down to a matter of trust."

"That gateway under Themyscira, is it a Hellmouth?" Superman asked Diana.

"From a certain point of view, yes, you could say so," Diana confirmed.

"I think your mother should be warned about it, and some people with a bit more knowledge of what they're facing should be placed there as guardians," the Man of Steel pointed out. Xander nodded, he had already thought about this same problem, and even talked briefly with Giles about it, but without someone to approach Queen Hyppolita, all the planning was moot.

"I was banned, I can't go back to warn her, to do so would be to risk execution."

"True, however, if an envoy from the Justice League was sent to warn them about a possible threat, she could be received without being killed, right?" Superman said.

"Hawkgirl?"

"Yes, I think so," he pointed out.

"No," Xander replied, evenly.

"Why not, Xander?" Diana asked, curious.

He sighed. "I don't know. It might be because she rubbed me the wrong way, but I don't trust her. At least not with my friends' secrets, not right now. Call it a hunch, if you want, but for now, let's keep things as they are. The Hellmouth under Themyscira's been taken care of for a very long time now, it can hold for a little longer without Slayer support. Sorry, Di," he apologized to his girlfriend.

"Not a problem. They're your friends and you have placed their trust and secrets in our hands. We won't betray them," she said, and kissed his hand just to prove she wasn't mad at him.

"Thank you, Di, and you for the thought, Supes."

"It was worth a shot, Xander," the Kryptonian replied, apparently ignoring the nickname. "Let me see if I can think of something else. Meanwhile, this…Anya, you said? What did she look like, again?"

"I don't have a picture right here with me now, but she was five foot five, blonde hair and she should be someplace in High School. Andrew told me she was killed by a knife, or sword, wound."

That, apparently, rekindled some sort of memory out of Superman. "I remember her," he said, surprising the one-eyed foreman. "I found it odd that in a town that sunk I would find someone killed by such a wound. I never noticed I was standing inside of what used to be the school. Besides, it looked to be Ground Zero."

"It was, the Hellmouth was directly under it. And what did you do with the body?" he asked, hopeful.

"I left it in the care of the LAFD; they should have disposed of it somehow. I think you could start your search there, there weren't that many to start with. The town _was_ fairly empty."

A gleam of hope shone in Xander's eye. It was one of his few regrets, not saying goodbye properly. Now, perhaps, he could. He looked to Diana who was watching him with a little smile.

"Go ahead, love," she said, nodding affirmatively. They had talked a lot about his past, and she knew about his regrets.

"Superman, do you think Batman would mind too much if I asked him for a favor?"

* * *

Batman didn't mind, and after only half an hour a small print out, with an address and a grave number, was deposited silently in his shaking hands.

"Thank you," Xander replied. The detective simply nodded and turned around, going back to his own devices.

Diana hugged him, and he replied, albeit shakily.

"I can finally say goodbye, Di," he said, reading the paper over and over again.

"I'm going to pack my bags and we can make a stop there before going home," Wonder Woman said.

"You think of my apartment as home?" Xander asked, surprised.

"Any place with you is home for me, love." she replied a smile gracing her lips.

"Even an old and small bachelor's apartment in Metropolis?"

"Even there, Alexander. Anywhere."

He smiled and kissed her as if there was no tomorrow.

* * *

Jane Doe. Sunnydale Victim.

Such a short epitaph for someone so... Anya. Xander sat on the ground, a sad smile creasing his face. Diana had stayed at the cemetery gates, waiting for him.

"Hello, sweetie. Sorry it took me so long to visit, but a lot of things happened after you... died. I didn't even know they had recovered your body. And you wouldn't believe who did it. Superman!"

Xander gave away a shuddering breath.

"I'm stalling, ain't I? It's just that I'm a coward; I was scared of coming here before. True, I didn't know you were here, but I could have searched, and I didn't."

"I don't know if I could see your grave and keep going, I loved you so much..."

He shook his head, a tear falling from his eye.

"But now, now I can. I've finally found my balance, and I'm…human again. Happy. You see...I found someone. I know you would probably hate her just on general principle, but she's a nice lady, and I love her and she loves me. She knows about us and it was her and her friends who made this possible. And I still haven't given her any orgasms, so I guess I'm doing something wrong," he chuckled mirthlessly.

"Well," he said after a while. "I just came to say goodbye. It's not goodbye, goodbye; I'll come to visit when I can, but this is my way of saying…thanks. I miss you, but I moved on. I just hope that, wherever you are, you're happy and annoying someone about your lack of orgasms and that you are not mad with me. If you are, ask whoever comes to visit to play nice and curse only me; none of the others have anything to do with my screw ups."

After a minute of complete silence, Xander relaxed.

"Well, I guess you're not mad…"

"Hello, kid."


	11. Chapter 11

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Mature, but no extra-funny bits.

**Author's Notes: **This time it's Tenhawk, IceWing and Marc D. (sounds like a rapper band, doesn't it?). Especially Marc D., for not making me sound like a big moron. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

"Watch this for me, love?" Diana asked.

"Sure," Xander replied without opening his eye as his mind was completely lost in thoughts.

The sounds of nature were lulling. The relaxing sounds of the small waterfall, feeding into the crystal clear lake, showing nature in its infinite cycle, melded well with the gentle light produced from the mid-day sun. Civilization seemed an other worldly concept. He could stay here forever, deep in the Brazilian jungles, a spot Diana had discovered a while ago during one of her world patrols.

It was the final leg of their month of leisure, they had already done the cultural thing, checking museums and historical places all over the world; the silly and childish thing, checking a few theme parks; the friends thing, visiting Buffy, Willow and co.; and now they were doing the relaxing and meditating thing, in a place that mankind had apparently never touched.

He heard a soft splash, probably Diana enjoying the lake, but not even that served to remove the memories of a private conversation from almost a full month ago.

* * *

"Hello, kid."

Xander spun around, cursing himself for being caught with his guard down. It was a stupid mistake, he was in a cemetery, and it didn't matter if it was broad daylight, it was still dangerous. Positioning himself, with his feet in a strong base, his mind finally caught up with his body.

"D'Hoffryn. Great," he said, sounding more like a curse. "Waiting for me? After all this time I thought I was walking away scot-free, but I forgot about that whole 'dish best served cold' thing about vengeance."

"What in the Nine Hells are you talking about, Harris?" the Demon Lord of Vengeance asked, surprised.

"Aren't you here to enact some sort of vengeance?" Xander asked, still tense like a cobra ready to strike. Not that it would do much good against a Demon Lord, but…

"For what? Anyanka's death? It was the price she chose, she had it coming, one way or the other. And I warned all of you about it, didn't I? From beneath you, it devours." D'Hoffryn pointed out.

"Okay, so then tell me why I should listen to you instead of trying to remove your head?" Xander asked, remembering what the bastard had done to Anya and Halfrek.

"Because listening to me will ensure you'll end up leaving this place instead of being buried in it?"

"Talk, then," Xander said, trying to show a brave front.

"I know you've been planning to enact some Vengeance against Darkseid's son; and while some contracts do forbid me from taking direct action against him, it doesn't say I can't help someone else to do it. So, I've come to you to offer my…services," the Vengeance Lord said. "However, I'm limited in my help."

"Why? How… I mean, how did you know?" the SoCal asked, dumbfounded.

"The 'why' is simple, Anyanka and your friend, Ms. Rosenberg. Since you both got involved, I've kept an eye and an ear out on each and every one of you once in a while; and I've ended up growing quite fond of you humans. As one grows fond of a particular nice rash, you know? As for how, I know you particularly well, Mr. Harris; and I know how you think. The moment someone mentioned your girlfriend was cowardly attacked, you started devising ways to pay the perpetrator back. Am I wrong? And vengeance, after all, is my business."

Xander shook his head. D'Hoffryn was right, he was planning something, but Kalibak lived on another planet, the man was perhaps even stronger than Glory, and he was Darkseid's son. So, planning some payback was damn near impossible.

Besides, he knew Diana wouldn't approve.

"No, you're not. What do you have in mind?"

* * *

What they discussed was still floating in his head, and the Demon Lord's promise to find 'suitable help' was scaring the bejezus outta him. Deciding on forgetting the subject for now, he tried to relax and enjoy the sun and his girlfriend.

"Xander, come on, the water is wonderful," he heard Diana calling, her voice echoing in the groove where they were camping. He was laid flat in a big stone, right in the edge of the waterfall, the tiny droplets of water leaving everything in an amazing temperature.

"I'm going," he said, sitting up and removing his eyepatch. At first he had some reservations about doing so, until one day Diana gently asked to remove it. She did with so much caring reflected in her face that all his misgivings about the scarring were lost in that moment. He still remembered her words from that day.

"A warrior is measured by his scars, Xander. Unfortunately, or perhaps not, you have the scars of a great warrior, one that I know will never steer away from the right path. I'm truly happy to know you," she said, and kissed the area right above the empty socket.

Coming back to the moment he looked for a place to leave the worn out patch, until his eye fixed in on the bunch of cloth resting at his side. It seemed a lot like…

"Xander?" Diana called from pretty close, she had apparently swam to the shore and was waiting for him.

Making all the connections, his head spun so quickly he thought he might break his neck, and all his fears were proven.

There stood Diana, water droplets sparkling like a thousand lights in her tanned and muscular, perfect body She was standing there, wearing nothing but her bracelets and a smile. His eye traveled the acres of flawless skin a couple of times before he realized what he was doing. His brain shut down, and his mouth hung open.

"Like what you see, love?" she asked, without a hint of modesty.

He, of course, did what every male of the species would, and nodded dumbly. Then, after a fashion, his motor functions seemed to return, and he closed his mouth.

Until it failed again when she started giggling and certain…parts of her started moving in interesting ways.

He knew he wouldn't be able to move until the next century. Or perhaps the next ice age.

* * *

Diana smiled. She didn't have a direct view of anything, but she knew what his reaction to her nude body was. Deciding on treating the matter as the compliment it really was, she laughed, and in a quick motion, splashed a lot of cold water in his direction. It had the desired effect, his gawking ended with a scream of "HEY!", and without thinking, he jumped straight in her direction, not minding his erection or her state of undress. She let him grab her, and they both tumbled straight into the lake, finishing his soaking.

Like two small kids, they engaged in a water fight, laughter echoing in the small groove of trees. They kept at it for a good while, until the fight tapered off and the laughter died, but not the smiles. She looked at him with hunger in her eyes, and his face got serious all of a sudden.

"What do you want?" he asked, and his voice had just a small trace of nerves.

* * *

Diana thought about the question once again. She knew the reason why he was asking, because she was certain that if they took this last step, this would definitely change life for both of them. To her, it meant burning the bridge with her past, perhaps forever. And Xander wasn't forever, as much as she wanted to be so. She had to make a decision between her past and her future, her own happiness and her people's happiness.

To him, it would mean that he would forever be linked to the person of _Wonder Woman_, even when he didn't see her like that. Or at least not always. All of the enemies of the Justice League would come gunning for him, and even with Batman's training, he would be in severe danger. They had talked about it, and his answer had been that everyone died eventually, and he wouldn't trade their relationship for 'might happen'. He didn't do it for Buffy and Willow, he certainly wouldn't do it for her.

It would be risky, it would be painful, but in the end, for the first time in her life, she decided to be a human being, and choose herself.

"What I still don't have. I have the friend, the boyfriend and the partner. Now, I want the lover." she said calmly, but with a husky and throaty voice, her beautiful twin pools filling his very soul.

Xander gulped, but his voice was firm when he spoke.

"Are you sure about this?"

She got closer to him, and grabbed him into a kiss that left him breathless.

"Yes."

* * *

Even the thought was sappy, but he knew that if he died right now he would be buried with a permanent grin that would almost split his head in two.

Xander knew that this would eventually happen; it was a natural progression of their relationship. They had been sharing a bed since Thanksgiving, and one of his Christmas presents to Diana was a comfortable and modest blood red silk pajama, which she had used the same night, together with a Santa's hat that made him fall down in laughter.

They were a great couple, even with their very distinct backgrounds, and this last month had proven that. They…balanced each other out, one's seriousness to the other's playfulness, one's mature insight to the other's almost childish approach. They had seen, tasted, felt and heard of everything and, while it really wasn't a surprise, it showed them that they really loved each other. Very much.

She had eyes to no other man, and he had eyes to no other woman. Willow had said so, Buffy had said so, and even Giles had said so.

Then, she had suggested they spend the last three days hidden from the rest of the world in a place she knew he would love.

And love it, Xander did.

He had been nervous at first. It was something they both shared; but in the end it had been marvelous. And now, both cooling down in the afterglow of making love for the first time, another thought entered his mind.

How was he to go about making this permanent?


	12. Chapter 12

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, for now.

**Author's Notes:**. Thanks go to IceWing, this time. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

Being roused from sleep at ... 7:32 AM when you went to sleep at four, after having your stamina and sexual prowess put to good use wasn't good. When the reasons were both the front doorbell and the telephone ringing at the same time, it was enough to call in an aerial strike.

"I'll get the door," Diana said angrily, climbing out of the bed.

"Hon, better put something on, you don't want to kill the bellboy," Xander said, checking her amazing state of undress.

"Perhaps I do," she muttered, but grabbed a long terrycloth robe, and walked out of the room putting it on.

Xander grabbed the insistent phone.

"If this isn't the world ending, it'll be as soon as I find you," he growled on the phone.

A very well-known giggle echoed on the other side.

"Not unless you count the birth of your goddaughter as an Apocalypse," Willow replied smartly.

"What?" Xander woke up instantly.

"Faith entered labor. I'll give you ten minutes to get ready then I'm bringing you and anyone else holding onto you to us."

"What?" he repeated, oh so smartly.

"Ten minutes," Willow repeated, and hung up, laughing all the way.

"SHIT!" he cursed, and scrambled out of bed in a dead run. He opened the door and ran to the living room, finding Diana talking with an apparent younger version of her.

"Faith's gotten into labor," he said quickly, and that's when he noticed that Diana was looking quite amused and the other girl had her mouth hanging open.

And that he was feeling a draft in a place particularly...un-drafty.

"Xander, love, allow me to introduce you to my sister, Donna. Donna, Xander."

* * *

Diana finished tying the sash of the robe closed and checked the eyehole. The person standing on the other size of the door came as a huge surprise.

"#Donna,#" she said, opening the door and engulfing her sister in a bone crunching hug. "#It's so good to see you!#"

"#Same here, Diana. I've missed you,#" the younger Amazon said.

"#What are you doing here? How did you find me?#"

Before the young Amazon could answer, they both heard a muffled curse, and the door to the bedroom slammed open, and Xander ran to the living room, showing to the whole world his male attributes in all their uncovered glory, morning wood included.

"Faith's gotten into labor."

* * *

No one understood a thing when an apparently empty room disgorged one Amazon Princess giggling uncontrollably, one one-eyed man grumbling irritated and one apparently younger version of said Amazon Princess doing a nice impression of a tomato, while trying to present a serious front.

All this changed when Xander locked eye with a worried-looking Giles, and a pacing Buffy.

"What's wrong?" he asked, knowing that something must be for those two to be like that.

Giles approached, and acquiesced both Diana and the newcomer with a nod of his head.

"A Slayer's labor is not easy for the mother or the child. A natural birth might cause damage to the child if too much pressure is applied, and a C-Section, to be effective, has to be extremely controlled, since the anesthesia being applied must be a heavier dose. Robin's birth was almost a miracle in itself, but now we're trying a new procedure, with Willow's help."

"What did you guys do?" he asked, sitting in a chair, worry creasing his voice.

"Willow created a charm that is negating the Slayer Spirit and its powers for now, effectively turning Faith into a normal woman for the duration of the labor. Both issues combined it's proving to be a large strain for Faith, but it appears to be working," the Head of the Watcher's Council answered.

"And Willow?" he asked about his best friend.

"She's on stand by outside the operating room, if something goes wrong."

"And she still brought us here?" he asked, dumbfounded. Not because of the impossible things Willow seemed to do with fair easiness, but even he knew about expending one's magical reserves like that. Giles was in London, the last time he checked, and Buffy and Dawn in Italy, having secured the Not-So-Immortal's assets after he had a sudden case of death by decapitation.

"Against my wishes. Not that I didn't want you or Lady Diana here, Xander, but I feared that the stress of the transportation would render her useless. And as always, my complaints fell in deaf ears against your stubbornness."

"_My_ stubbornness? What do I have to do with Willow's stubbornness?"

"You're American, aren't you?"

He looked to the British man, head tilted to a side trying to figure out if Giles had smoked or drank something slightly illegal, but when he noticed the Watcher's surreptitious smirk, he knew he'd been had.

"This is one of those 'payback' thingies, right?" Xander asked, while Diana giggled even more

"As you're so fond of saying, yup. Don't worry, Faith and the baby are all right, we're just plain worried. But the charm to negate the Slayer Spirit is quite real, and a strain for her."

"Any chance of something bad happening?"

"There's always such a chance, but we tried to cover all of our bases. There's a roving team of Slayers around the hospital, and Buffy sent word that if anything as much as sneezed in this direction, Cleveland would need to be rebuilt from the ground up after she was done."

Xander nodded. "I'll sit here and worry, you better calm down the Buffster before she bores a hole in the ground."

"I'll see what I can do," the Englishman said, and stood up, going back to a pacing Buffy, who wasn't in the mood to talk with anyone, apparently.

"I think Mr. Giles got you there, love," Diana said, and Donna stood to a side. Xander noticed the girl was dressed in some sort of toga, not really appropriate to the climate they were facing.

"#Here,#" he said, offering the girl his coat. She thought about refusing, but a slight shake of the head from her older sister curtailed the attempt.

"#Thank you,#" Donna said, still trying to figure out what to say and when to say it.

"#You're welcome. Sorry about the introduction earlier today, I was worried because a good friend of mine is in there having a baby,#" Xander said, pointing to a door he supposed was the entrance to the Surgery Room.

Donna simply smiled. "You speak our language very well," she said, entering safer subjects for the moment, and refusing to fulfill her mission for the time being. No need to add more stress to an already stressful situation.

"I have two great teachers," Xander said and got a very large grin from Diana as a 'thank you'. "And you speak ours pretty well too."

"Well, our island is not as isolated as people like to think. We do have some contact with the outside world once in a while," Donna pointed out.

"So, that was how you did find me out?" Diana asked, curious about the 'contact'. In all the years she lived on the island, contact with the 'World of Men' was strictly forbidden.

"I had to make my presence known somewhat, but then your friends from the Justice League gave me the address you were supposed to be."

Xander and Diana traded surreptitious glances. Diana turned back to her sister.

"So, Donna, what are you doing around here?"

"I need to speak with you both, but it can wait the birth of this child."

"Is something happening in Themyscira? Is Mother all right?" Diana asked, worried.

"Everything is fine, Diana, and Mother is all right. It can wait, truly," Donna said, and the smile she sported quelled the superhero's fear for a while.

Xander, however, felt something in the pit of his stomach lurch and grow.

* * *

The sisters engaged in a long talk while they waited, about happenings in Themyscira, but even Diana's surreptitious probes about Donna's sudden contact came back empty. Xander lost track about five minutes of Ancient Greek gossip, deciding on a venue of approach to the worried blond Slayer carving a drainage canal in the middle of the hospital hallway while they waited for news.

"Let me guess, you hate your shoes and you're thinking about throwing them away by wearing them down until there isn't a sole under them?" he asked out of the blue.

Buffy stopped, shook her head and looked to her best friend. "Since when you've gone mental?"

"Humm…hard question. I'd have to say after bumping on a tiny blond in the middle of Sophomore Year?"

The Slayer glared at him, but there was no bite behind the look. "How can you be so calm?" she asked. Xander shrugged.

"Dunno. I'm really anxious, but there's nothing I can do. No research that I can do will help with Faith's birth, there's nothing to Slay and nothing to build, so I just worry like everyone else. Well, not like everyone, since it appears that I'll have to cover the hole you're making right now."

Buffy stopped her nervous walking, and pulled him to a corner. "It's your kid being born there," she hissed.

"No, it's not. It's Robin and Faith's. And you know that, Buff. So, what's really bothering you?" he asked, now realizing that his old friend's nervousness weren't just because of Faith's impending, if not already happening, labor.

Buffy grabbed his arm, passed over Diana saying something along the lines of 'borrowing your boyfriend', and took him to an empty room nearby. Knowing that this would be one of _those_ talks, he sat on the bed and waited for the tiny blonde.

"Do you think I'm a failure?"

Xander was more or less prepared for such a question. "No," he answered succinctly. Buffy, obviously, wanted more than that.

"That's it?"

"Uh huh," he said, nodding as he spoke. "However, it's not the answer that you want, right? Okay, let me expand on it. You are the longest living Slayer ever, you're bordering on an age I'm not going to mention, you have a group of friends that are more family than family and you make the word a safest and brightest place just by being in it. Is that better?"

She smiled wanly. "And did you notice you just spoke about things that relate to the outer Buffy, not the inner Buffy?"

"Is this about Faith?" he asked, not following her.

"No. Yes. More yes than no, if it makes any sense."

"It doesn't. Xplainy, please?"

"I did everything by the book," she said, and shook her head. "Fuck, actually I tore the book apart and did what I think it was right. And I got it right some times and screwed it up even more times, but I like to think I did good. That we all did. So why I'm not the one in that table having a baby?"

"Strange reasoning, Buffy, but I think I get you. Do you realize that from every one of us, Faith is the only one that has a stable and mostly normal relationship?"

"And you too, pal, or should I dismiss Miss Superhero waiting outside?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy, as far as I want to think differently, Diana falls down into the 'weird relationship' category. Okay, she might be the closest thing to human that I ever dated, but you said yourself, she's Miss Superhero. Someday, some Uber-God from another world might come down and sweep her off her feet, and I'll be alone all over again."

"I think not, Xan, but that is a discussion for another time. Go on," she urged, before they got into a side conversation.

"Okay. So, why do you think Faith got lucky and you didn't?"

"Gee, lemme see? Husband? Home? Baby? It's only missing the white picket fence," she said sarcastically.

"Okay, but if you noticed it, she married a man who knew what being a Slayer entitled. I'm just going to stress out the 'man' part of this equation and leave the rest of our old arguments out of it, okay?"

Buffy nodded, it wouldn't help a thing to discuss her old boyfriends right now.

"You mean I should date Giles? Or any one of the new Watchers? Believe me, I've tried, not with Giles cause eww, but after they learn what I did, they get all worship-y and then think of me as a goddess or such."

Xander chuckled. "I was thinking something along those lines, but what I really wanted to tell you is stop being two people. Or better, three people. "

"Huh?" she queried, smartly.

"Buff, among us you're our best friend, a funny woman we all love, even with all your quirks. We know about the Slayer, and while it is a big part of our lives and it gives an inner depth to you, it doesn't exactly feature in how we deal with you."

"Again with the huh?"

"Stop playing the dumb cheerleader act. I know you've grown out of it a long time ago, it might work for vampires, but not your friends," he said, his tone even and not hurtful.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"No prob. What I meant is that none of us fear you, or worship you, or things of the sort. At least not in ways that would really make a difference in the end."

"That helps me exactly how?"

"I've noticed a long time ago that you deal with outsiders two different ways. One is the dumb cheerleader act, and while it might have been cute, it's not who you are anymore; and the other is Buffy Summers, the Slayer, 'bow before me your puny human, because I've saved your life more times than you have fingers to count'. While it's hard for this side to show up, when it does it's a bitch to digest, no pun intended. So, it's either dumb or bitch, and there are very few men within a reasonable age span that find any of those extremes attractive. And knowing you, the ones who do feel attracted don't deserve the attention back."

"I'm doomed," she said, and sighed.

"No, you're not. There's a third Buffy hidden in there. The playful one, the scared one, the …human one. The one you are when it's me, or Willow, or Dawn…well, you get the drift. This one, any good man would love. But, it's still a problem. It isn't all that you are. You're the cheerleader, or a grownup version of her, you're the Slayer and you are the human being. You need to find someone who can see all those three sides, and love all three of them."

"Do you?" she asked, voice small.

"Love all three of them?" he asked, and with her nod, he continued. "The human being, most definitely, the cheerleader my teenage version did, the adult nowadays finds it very amusing. The Slayer, not so much, but I still love her for all the good that she did for us. Even when she screwed up."

Buffy smiled, but she got back to pacing for a few moments.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked, unsure.

"Do you still have to ask?" he smirked.

"Would it still work? Between us?"

That made Xander stop for a moment. "Honestly, I don't know. If Diana wasn't in the equation, I'd think about it very hard. But one thing I do know, no matter what we are, we'll always be friends."

Buffy thought about it for a while. "How did you get so smart?"

"Someone had to grow up in this joint. The Powers must have looked down and decided they'd give me a shot at Chosen One," and that earned a chuckle from her. Mission accomplished, for now. "Honestly, dating Di brought forth a lot of things in me, mainly my more mature side."

"She's being good for you, Xander. And who's the young girl with the tablecloth?" she asked.

"Young is relative, she might be five hundred and you'd never know. She's Donna, Diana's younger sister."

Buffy cringed. "Why does this somehow tell me you're not going to like the visit?" she asked her best friend.

"Because I won't?" he continued.

Suddenly, the door opened, with a smiling Willow dressed in blue scrubs behind it.

"Weighting six pounds, nine ounces and measuring one point five feet, Hope Alexandra Wood has just graced our world. And she has a very healthy set of lungs."

Buffy's smile could light up the world. "I can hear her from here," the Slayer smiled, a tear falling down her cheek.

Stunned, Xander could only gape.

"Alexandra?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, for now.

**Author's Notes:**. Thanks go to GreyWizard, this time. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

It was funny to see, in a detached sort of way, like those videos where a guy turns his car into a wreck and walks away mostly unscathed.

Diana watched the Scoobies watching the sleeping Hope as if she was an alien. Well, not an alien, because an alien might elicit another response altogether. The people currently cramming the hospital room were among the most dangerous people on the planet. Give them a demon, a nearly-unbeatable enemy and they would deal with it easily.

A newborn baby?

They didn't have the slightest idea.

* * *

Xander was the first to act, coming closer to the crib. As much as he wanted to think differently, it was his daughter currently sleeping in there. It was a beautiful baby… well, as beautiful as a wrinkled newborn could be, with a small mop of brunette hair. He still hadn't seen her eyes, but given his and Faith's looks, they would most certainly be brown. He extended a callused hand, slowly trying to figure where to touch the baby.

"She won't explode, ya know?" Faith drawled from her spot on the bed, looking far better than any mother should just a few hours after giving birth. Perks of a Slayer.

Xander twisted his neck, looking to the Dark Slayer, who seemed half as frightened as the rest of them.

"You're saying this to me or to yourself?" he asked.

Faith shrugged. "Never dealt with a baby before, but I kinda know they're not exactly explosive."

Diana moved, and hugged her boyfriend from behind. "I think none of you have the slightest experience regarding children, right?"

Giles cleared his throat. "We-well, you would be right, Diana. Most of us here have no siblings, although I do believe Buffy didn't have problems with her Slayer strength when she dealt with baby Dawn."

The aforementioned Slayer nodded, and Dawn smirked from the back. "And I wouldn't trust her to change diapers. I still remember Mom telling me some stories about her attempts helping her."

Buffy turned and gave her sister her patented Death-Glare. However, as usual, it had absolutely no effect on her younger sister, but the comment was enough for some chuckles to erupt and to dispel part of the lingering nervousness.

"It's not easy, but at the same time, it's not impossible. Just love them as you would like to be loved, and all the rest is pretty straightforward," the Amazon said, and stood to the side of the crib. First she intoned something in Ancient Greek that made Giles, Dawn, Xander, Willow and Donna look at her with varied settings of awe. Faith noticed.

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"She has been blessed into the Amazon Nation," Dawn replied, the first one to recover. "Can you do that?" the Key asked her.

"I have only been banned from the Island, Dawn. My status as Princess can not be revoked, unless by death, and while I can't perform the proper ceremony, the shorter blessing can be given by any member of the Royal Family."

"What does it mean?" Faith asked, curious.

"Your daughter is now one of us, Mrs. Wood," Donna said.

"It's a little bit more than that, Faith. For now, it just means that she gains an extra level of protection coming from me, my sisters and from our Goddess Athena."

At that particular moment, Xander's mobile decided to vibrate inside his pocket. He excused himself and went outside to answer.

"Yes?" he growled, annoyed about being interrupted.

"_Did I call at a bad time? I can call back later,_" a voice that Xander didn't recognize replied. The one-eyed man huffed.

"No, go ahead. Who is this?"

"_Mr. Harris, a common acquaintance came to me asking if I could offer you a job here in Gotham City, and while I'm not particularly fond of offering jobs to people I don't know, I can't ignore the…expertise of our common acquaintance."_

"The Bat?" Xander asked, surprised. The man left nothing to chance.

"_Precisely. So I'm calling to see if you're interested in coming to Gotham for an interview?_"

"Well, I might be interested, Mr…?"

"_Oh, where are my manners? I'm Wayne. Bruce Wayne._"

* * *

AN: I know, very, very short chapter after a long dry spell, but I wanted to take this particular scene out of the way. Next chapter, Xander in Gotham (but not to stay, yet). 


	14. Chapter 14

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, for now.

**Author's Notes:** Thanks go to Greywizard, Ten and Ice, this time. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Feedback**: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

It should have been a relaxing flight for a potential job interview. However, given the amount of things that happened in the past week before the actual trip made Xander Harris turn on his almost unused thoughtful face and swim deep into what had happened.

First was the talk with Donna, and the reason why she had come visit.

"So, Mother wants to meet _**us**_," Diana said, pointing to Xander and herself.

"Yes, Diana. She wants to meet the male that apparently swayed your heart," Donna said, no hint of malice in her voice, as if she was just repeating what she had heard. And she probably was.

"There is no 'apparently', Donna. I do love Xander," Diana said, temper rising.

"I know that, sister. Anyone with eyes to see just need two minutes in the presence of you both to know that. And while our culture and teachings say differently, I know enough about the World of Men to know that not every male in existence is a back stabbing coward. There are honorable men around, and your Xander is most definitely one of them."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Xander said, dryly.

"However, know that I think my opinion isn't shared by anyone else that is aware of your relationship, Diana. I tried to sway Mother a little bit, but I think that it fell on deaf ears."

"Great," the one-eyed man said, the rest of his mood vanishing in a second. "Now I have an entire island of women who knows more about bladed weapons than any living Slayer after my skin. And bones. And internal organs."

Donna thought a second about reacting, because she knew that, as much as her mother was aggravated by the situation, she was above all an honorable person. But before her complaints could be voiced, her sister spoke.

"I wouldn't worry much, Xander. Mother would never order such a thing."

Donna nodded.

"She would only cut Little Xander herself," Diana said with a smirk.

The younger Amazon Princess had never seen a person turn so white before.

* * *

Jokes aside, they set up a meeting for a month later. It would give the parties involved time to prepare, and for the one-eyed man to finish something he had started a while ago.

Plus the secret meeting between the core Scoobies and Diana, and the hatching of 'The Plan'.

He figured Buffy would never speak to him again.

* * *

Then it was his crew about finishing the Metropolis 'base', and then the meeting with Giles and his explanations about getting a break from Council-based jobs and his potential training with Batman. Much glass cleaning was had then, but in the end, the head of the New Watchers' Council agreed that it would, indeed, be better for Xander, and he even agreed to just tell the girls he was going away only to work for another company.

Aside from that, he was still waiting word from D'Hoffryn, and that was giving him shivers.

Pushing all of that aside for the moment, he grabbed his PDA and started reading the dossier that Dawn - the only other person aside from Giles and Diana who knew the truth - had prepared about Bruce Wayne.

First thing of notice was that the man was Rich. With a capital F. Second, he was, apparently, a do-gooder. Had a lot of philanthropic 'crusades' under his belt, and even the military contracts his companies got were geared towards defense and non-lethal offensives.

Then there was the guy's bio, with Dawn's personal notes that it took some extra digging to find that info. Wayne was an orphan, parents were murdered during a mugging gone wrong, and the then-young boy had seen it all.

Guardianship was passed to an Alfred Pennyworth, the family's butler. Several big blanks from there on, and the only really solid piece of info available was that he had finished Oxford with barely passing grades, majoring in Business.

Xander skimmed through the rest of the info, and it painted the perfect picture of Mr. Bruce Wayne: boring playboy with far too much money and very little sense.

There were a few pictures as well, from several different years. A newspaper photo, clearly from his parents' funeral, taken from a distance. The yearbook photo from Oxford. Several ones from different magazines, showing him in varied events, and in each once, he had a different - and in some cases more than one - beautiful woman attached to his arm.

Yeah. It painted a perfect picture of boring playboy life.

Something, however, kept nagging against Xander's weird-o-meter. It wasn't something he could point his finger at, but something _was_ wrong.

He just wanted to know _what.  
_

* * *

Xander arrived onto Gotham Airport's lobby to be welcomed by an old man dressed in one of those classy driver suits he had only seen in movies, holding a plaque with 'A. Harris' written on it. He approached the guy with his lopsided grin in place.

"Hi, I'm Alexander Harris," he introduced himself.

"I am Alfred Pennyworth, Mr. Wayne's butler. Is that everything?" the Englishman asked, pointing to Xander's duffle and suit bag.

The SoCal native smiled. "I learned to travel light, P-Man."

Alfred's reply was merely to raise a single eyebrow and to grab the duffle straight from Xander's shoulder. "If you'll follow me, sir?"

"Lead the way, P-Man."

The butler just turned around and walked away.

* * *

The silent drive was grating on the ex-Watcher's nerves, and the big metropolis was giving him the wiggins, something like being in the presence of a Hellmouth, only not.

"So, how is working for Mr. Wayne like, Alfred?" he attempted on a conversation slash research.

"It isn't proper for me to speak about it, Mr. Harris," the old Englishman replied.

"Why not? Is he a bad boss? I'm just asking because I might end up working for him and I wanted to form a picture of him beforehand. I did some research but it was sorely lacking in some aspects. So, how is the man? And the boss?"

Alfred hesitated for a moment.

"Master Bruce is a good man, sir, and a good Master."

"You know, P-Man, this _Master _stuff might give people all sort of wrong ideas," Xander replied with a smirk.

The butler gave away a dignified huff.

"Sorry about the jibes, Alfred, but you tweed people are so easy sometimes," the American said, still smirking.

"Tweed people?"

"Proper British men," he continued. "And Batman?"

That, apparently, shook the butler somewhat. "What about him?" he asked, his tone guarded.

"You've met him? What do you think of him? What's his relationship with Mr. Wayne?" Xander already had his opinion formed about the Dark Knight, but he wanted to know how Bruce Wayne figured on that equation.

Alfred took some moments to answer. "I've met him a few times in the past, Mr. Harris. While not really knowing the man, I believe that Gotham needed and still needs him in order to survive our underworld and its crazed denizens. As for his relationship with Master Bruce, I believe that they are good acquaintances, since I don't believe Batman gives himself the luxury of having friends."

Xander nodded, but what Alfred had said rung…not right, somehow. "I've met the man twice, and I can honestly say that his mythos is well deserved. He is one scary mother."

"If you say so, sir. But I believe, from Master Wayne's talks, that he is a good man as well," the butler replied.

"Of that, I have no doubt," he concluded, remembering everything the Bat had done for him so far.

* * *

They did a brief stop at Xander's hotel so he could take a shower and put on his suit. He hated the damned thing, but not even he was so thick to go to a job interview dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. After another brief trip, they arrived at an impressive building, where Alfred oriented him to where he should go and how to proceed to get there.

Now, properly identified with a visitor's tag, he was riding the private elevator to the top floor, and the same feeling of _wrongness _came back full force. It could be just nerves about the interview, but the one-eyed man regretted not being armed with something more dangerous than a cell phone, his wallet and a visitor's tag. He also thought about calling Diana and leaving some sort of warning with her. Before he could actually do it, though, the doors opened on a posh lobby, with a polished and perfectly dressed secretary waiting behind a marble desk that probably cost more than his Metropolis apartment. He approached her and plastered his best fake smile as the situation allowed.

"Hi, I have an appointment with Mr. Wayne," he said.

The secretary smiled warmly. "The front desk announced you. Mr. Harris, right? You can go right in, he's expecting you," she said, and pointed to another impressive oak door, this one the price of a brand new car.

He thanked her and walked right in.

* * *

Bruce closed his secure cell phone, after hearing what Alfred had said about his brief trips with Xander Harris. The man was smarter than anybody gave him credit for, and even his extensive Council files didn't do him justice. It was a small miracle Xander's life hadn't turned him into something he went about hunting at nights. The door opened, and Bruce stood up to greet him.

"Mr. Harris? Bruce Wayne," the millionaire approached, hand extended and his best fake smile on, only to see the man's remaining eye widen, size him up discreetly and go back to normal. It was almost imperceptible if you weren't expecting it, or hadn't had Bruce's training.

A smirk appeared on the young man's face and he shook the hand strongly. "It's a pleasure, Mr. Wayne. I've heard very good things about you."

"Most of them are lies, I assure you. Please, sit down," he protested humorously and pointed to a comfortable chair in front of his desk. "I've heard good things about you, as well."

"Well, given who Batman is, I have no doubt," Xander said, his smile widening somewhat. "So, what did he ask of you?"

"Batman is a mystery, even when he's being straightforward. He asked me to offer you a job, that you were good in what you did, and to give you some…leeway regarding job hours. He gave me a folder with a resume, and I decided to talk with you. So, Mr. Harris, what can you offer Wayne Enterprises?"

Xander then started talking about his job history outside the weirdness of the Underworld.

* * *

The interview took about an hour. Batman hadn't bother to check on Harris' job history, aside from where he had worked and how much money he had been paid on those jobs, so knowing how the man worked was actually a novel experience. Bruce saw a few pictures on his personal website – one concocted with the help of the Slayer's younger sister – and it gave him an idea that he did excellent work, and he already knew that he could keep secrets. Perhaps he could be used to help on Bruce's other… enterprises.

"Well, your resume doesn't do you justice, Mr. Harris; you do a very good job. What about we have a brief experience period so you can acclimate yourself with your co-workers, then we set something more appropriate when the trial period is over? That way I can see where best to put you."

"That would work for me, Mr. Wayne. However, I still have one last job I need to finish in Metropolis. It will take me about two weeks, and then after that, I'm yours. That works?"

"It does, Mr. Harris. Then I think I must say welcome to Wayne Enterprises."

"Thank you, sir."

"It was my pleasure. But I do have one last question. What gave me away?" Bruce asked, his face darkening considerably.

Xander looked sheepish, realizing he'd been had. Try to deceive a master detective and what you get for your troubles? Perhaps none of your bones intact. "If I say 'oops', can we close the subject?"

"Was it Diana? Or is it the 'One Who Sees' thing? What is it?" Bruce asked, voice closer to what he used while under the cowl.

"Damn annoying world-dominating-minion priests," Xander muttered darkly. "Diana said absolutely nothing, and it's not a _thing_. It's just something I can do, I don't know how. I can… _see _things that most people don't. Call it a Hellmouth side effect, or a result of my possessions, I don't know. Or maybe a metagene."

"What gave me away?" Bruce asked again.

"You're like a vamp, Bruce, you have a game face. I've learned to see through them a long time ago. Tell me, does that change anything?"

Wayne thought it over for a few moments. "A lot of people trust you with their secrets. I'm willing to do the same for now. Do not make me regret such a decision. As for the job offer, it is quite real. You do a good job."

"Thank you. So, we see each other in two weeks?"

Bruce's face cleared of all menace, and he got back into what he realized was his 'game face'. "We do. It was a pleasure, Mr. Harris," he said, standing up and stretching his hand.

"Until then, Mr. Wayne. And if you may, it's Xander," he said, and they shook hands.

"Until then, Xander."


	15. Chapter 15

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, for now.

**Author's Notes:** A very special thanks go to cmduhura this time, the dialogue between Xander, Bruce and Diana is his, with a bit of editing from me. Thanks as well to Greywizard, Ten and Ice. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Author's Notes part deux**: I'm taking the opportunity to thank the people who nominated me for the TTH Awards. I didn't win, but since I lost to a very good friend of mine (good one, John!), I'm not bothered in the least. To prove it, I was supposed to be working on a certain web archive, but this is a kind of thank you for the nomination and the voting.

**Feedback**: YESSSS!!!! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!!

* * *

_Personal Log Files:_

_Encryption Level: Alpha Sigma 5_

_Subject: Harris, Alexander L._

_Private Notes (Continued):_

_After fifteen days of training and evaluation, subject proved to be an average to good fighter within human standards, with quick thinking and heavily developed improvisational capabilities. He has hints of Special Ops training showing off every now and then (See Related File: Possession II), and apparently, he fights better when cornered. If it is another remainder of the Hyena (See Related File: Possession I) or just the natural reaction of one accustomed to fighting the underworld remains to be seen._

_His flaws are consistent with one who learned to fight on his own for several years, using the same style against a common enemy. He can see or sense most of the hits sent his way, but lacks any proper training to counter most of them. He has the habit of going for central mass or neck hit, again consistent with his past._

_Based on these observations, I've decided to focus his training on improving his combat techniques and SERE…_

* * *

"You're aware I don't want to wear a mask and a funky outfit, right?" Xander pointed out, his entire body drenched with sweat, his muscles taxed beyond reason. Batman was a slave driver, but he had to admit that the man knew his thing. He pushed until the very last limit, coming very close to cause real damage, either directly or indirectly, but he stopped a micron before getting there. It seemed as if the Dark Knight knew Xander's body better than he did. Sure, every training session ended with the Californian asking the gods for forgiveness and a hot bath, but he was getting better, even in so short a period.

"Yes. Now, again," the detective said, once again falling into the same relaxed combat posture. Xander attacked again, changing the approach slightly from the previous attempts, and this time he managed to 'score' three times before once again meeting the mat, hard.

"You're improving," Batman said off-handedly, and from what the ex-Watcher knew about him, this was high praise.

"Thanks," he said, standing up. "Too bad I can't compensate the loss of my eye."

"You can. All you have to do is focus more on your other senses. Follow me," Batman said, and they walked to the large computer screen. "Computer, open file: Wilson, Slade."

He had heard that name before, in Africa, but he didn't remember anything else about the man. One minute later, he wished he'd never even heard of him in the first place.

"He's that good?" the young man asked, very surprised.

"Yes."

"Even with one eye?"

"Yes."

"Will I be able to fight like he does?"

"Give me fifteen years of your life and I'll make sure you'll be better, without the need to kill your opponents and without any outside influences."

Xander mused. "Let me think about it for a few days, will you?"

* * *

The newest employee of Wayne Construction sat behind the desk which he'd been directed to by the HR manager. After booting his computer, and finding the password he'd been given didn't work, he mused that even in a company owned by Batman, paperwork never got dealt with as it was supposed to. But, it was that very paperwork, and the jobs which relied on it, that were the reason he was currently behind this monster of a desk. He disliked desk jobs as much as vampires, but he had to admit he had to know what WC did and was currently working on. After a brief explanation from the secretary that served the floor, and a brand new correct password, he started opening a few projects to get the 'lay of the land', and he lost himself in them.

Several people walked in to introduce themselves, and Xander did his best to try to remember a few names. Since he didn't know who he would end up working with, he tried to keep an open mind with all of them. One or two people were entered in his mental watch list, and while none bore staking urges (yet), they were classified into the 'Never Introduce to Buffy' group.

The only thing that changed the _status quo_ was a presence in the edge of his slightly enhanced senses, someone that brought a huge smile to his face.

"Can the new employee be relieved for lunch?" a throaty voice said a couple moments later, sending shivers down his spine. He looked up, and Diana was calmly sitting on the edge of his desk, like a Greek goddess – wait, she was a Greek demigoddess, so that point was moot. Anyway, she was sitting on his desk, a smile that would make every dentist in the planet die of envy, dressed in khaki pants and a dark blue shirt that made her blue eyes look like they were glowing.

"Sure, love. Give me one second to close these files, will you?" he replied, while his hands moved over the keyboard.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" another voice was heard from the door. She turned, her smile dimming a tad, but there nonetheless.

"Of course not, Bruce. It's good to see you again," she said, giving him a chaste kiss in the cheek.

"Likewise, Diana. Xander," he nodded to his new employee.

"Mr. Wayne," he acknowledged his boss and new mentor.

"Grapevine travels mighty fast when a superhero walks through the front door, so I came over to say hi," Bruce said, while the So-Cal walked around the desk to hug and give his girlfriend a quick peck. He raised an eyebrow and nodded in his boss' direction. Diana understood the motion and gave a small nod.

"Mr. Wayne, want to join us for lunch?" Xander asked.

"I would be intruding," the older man replied.

"Nonsense, Mr. Wayne. I know you and Diana are old acquaintances with very little contact. It wouldn't be a bother, at all. You might even help me somewhat," Xander replied, smirking.

Bruce schooled his features in the usual smiling mask he used in all the events he had to forcibly participate, but this time he had some real amusement behind it. "On two conditions, then."

"Name them," the one-eyed man spoke.

"One, stop calling me Mr. Wayne. Any friend of Diana is a friend of mine, even being an employee. It's Bruce."

"All right…Bruce. Second one?"

"Let me pay the bill, it's the least that I can do."

"Hey, you're the über-rich boss here, don't expect me to say no. However, I have a condition myself."

"Name it."

"You choose the place. I haven't been in town long, and at the rate I'm going, I'll either eat at the hot dog booth next block or die of food poisoning in one of the city's most disgusting restaurants."

"The booth is quite good, I've indulged a few times myself, but it will be my pleasure," Bruce said, and the trio left for lunch.

* * *

The restaurant fell in a grey area between posh and what Xander would call ' homey'. Their prices were a tad above his usual, but what really got him was the actual quality of the food. He thought he had never eaten so good a steak. Bruce, recognizing the face, smiled slightly.

"I just bring…special people to eat here, instead of the usual places. Not so much luxury, but the food is more than compensation enough."

"I have to agree with that, Bruce. I've never eaten so well outside of Themyscira," Diana said, clearly enjoying her own steak with salad. The trio talked a lot about nothing at all, skirting the 'hero' business completely, instead focusing on normal day-to-day mundane stuff. The two males even joked about failed dates and their consequences. The Amazon Princess gracefully took everything with great humor, even her boyfriend's past. Of course, she already knew most of it, but hearing him say it with over-the-top panache was highly amusing.

Xander decided to use the opportunity to question the world's most fabulous strategist, now disguised in his daily persona, about one thing that was consuming most of his thoughts nowadays.

"Bruce, I need some input."

Bruce lowered his iced tea, giving the Californian his full attention.

"I'm about to meet with Diana's mother. I don't know what she wants with me, but I don't need to be a detective to figure it out. My question is, how should I handle a woman that is both a Queen, a Mother and has a history about mistrusting men in general? And take into account that I love her daughter more than anything else."

Given his history with women, he hadn't really been expecting that type of question and was caught a bit off guard. He covered his surprise by giving the question all the serious thought it truly deserved. After a few minutes, he finally gave his answer.

"You need to be honest with her," he said. "Even if she wants to broach a subject you don't want to talk about. Tell her you don't want to talk about it. If she pushes, ask her to justify her reasons for talking about it. Do not show weakness. She is a warrior and will respect strength."

Seeing Xander about to say something, Bruce continued, "I'm not talking about physical strength, although that doesn't hurt if you can provide examples of that to her, but of strength of character and commitment. Admit mistakes and what you learned from making them. Also remember that she is a Queen and be respectful of her position in that regard, even as you deal with her as Diana's mother."

Finally, to show exactly how thoroughly he knew Xander's background, he concluded, "If it helps, try and deal with her as you would have Joyce Summers if your relationship with her daughter had gone more along the lines you wanted back when you first met her."

Xander was glad he didn't have anything in his mouth at that moment or it would have been spewed all over everything. True, he had told Diana about his crush on Buffy back when they were in school but to have Bruce bring it up to as an example of how to deal with his girlfriend's mother while Diana was sitting right there was a bit of a shock.

Diana hid a small smile at Xander's reaction but came to his rescue, anyway, sort of.

"I think that's a wonderful bit of advice," she stated. "From what you've told about Joyce, she shares many of the same qualities with my Mother and I have no doubt that they would have become fast friends had they ever met. You got along with her, so you should be able to survive meeting my Mother."

Xander smiled weakly and just nodded. The problem was that because Buffy had never really shown any romantic interest in him, he had never had a chance to use any of the many speeches he had thought up to make to Joyce should that situation change.

He was so doomed.

* * *

"I have to go back to the satellite, love," Diana said, after they left the restaurant.

"No problem, Di. I think Mr. Wayne…Bruce, here, won't mind giving me a lift back to the office," Xander said, pointing to the man a couple of feet behind.

The lunch was a good opportunity for Xander to interact with Bruce outside of the cowl, and he had to admit that the 'Bruce Wayne' persona was the best piece of acting he had ever seen. If he didn't know the secret already, he had no doubt that Bruce Wayne would be a perfect human being, with all the flaws commonly found in such a human being. However, he could see Batman wearing Bruce's mask the whole time, and it was amusing, albeit a bit scary, to see. He could admit turning into Bruce's 'friend', but he had no idea what that meant in his relation to Batman.

Once they had traded their goodbyes and Diana departed, Bruce hailed a cab. Midway back to WayneCorp, the one-eyed man turned to his boss.

"Bruce, mind giving me another piece of advice?"

"About?"

"Where can I buy an engagement ring fit to a goddess?"

Xander figured the next training session would have him walking in crutches for the rest of his natural life, from the looks of things.

* * *

Bruce was actually quite a helper, and gave him more than an address -- he personally called the jewelry store's manager and set up an appointment for him later the same day. Now Xander was being escorted in after hours, with a smile on his face and butterflies on his stomach.

He hadn't felt like this when he bought Anya's ring, and he wondered if the reason was because Diana was a superhero, a Princess, an Amazon, or if it was simply because this time, no matter what, he would follow through with his engagement – that is, if she agreed to marry him in the first place – and actually take her to an altar and after.

The manager was a slim and short individual – shorter than Buffy, if such a thing was possible – with a nasal and high voice that probably did wonders to the rich clientele but made the ex-Watcher consider choking him. After a bit of discrete haggling about price range and some surprise from the manager, he was taken to a display case and shown some of the store's most beautiful pieces.

Xander, after several years of working as a Watcher, plus some back-pay from Sunnydale times – something that Giles concocted for them all after putting the Council's finances in order – plus Anya's hefty insurance package, was now a fairly wealthy man in his own right. He wasn't rich in the strictest sense of the word, but he could have a comfortable life if he didn't work a day for the next seventy or eighty years. Buying an engagement ring, even for Diana, wouldn't be a problem, at all.

Before he could check the rings, though, the front door exploded in, showering the security guard with pieces of bulletproof glass. Xander ducked and hid behind another counter, while the manager froze in place.

"Ex-squeeze me, is this the place to buy fresh fish?" came a voice from the front door, followed by mad cackling.

Hellmouth luck. Don't leave home without it.

* * *

**_SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape)_** is a U.S. military program that provides service members with training in the Code of Conduct, survival skills, evading capture, and dealing with being taken prisoner. The program is intended to train aircrews, special forces, and other service members who operate in dangerous areas and are thus more likely to be captured. It was created by the Air Force at the end of the Korean War but was expanded to the Army and the Navy after the Vietnam War. (From the Wikipedia) 


	16. Chapter 16

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, for now.

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to Greywizard, Ten and Ice. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Author's Notes 2:** Biggest chapter to date on this fic, and a hard one to write. Hope you guys enjoy it.

**Author's Notes 3:** : _mind talk _:

**Feedback**: YESSSS!!!! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!!

* * *

Clowns.

Why, from all of Batman's rogues gallery, did Xander have to meet the damned clown first?

Not that he had any intention of meeting any of them, but to be honest, given the chance, the Joker was the last one he wanted to face, for two basic motives: with the rest of them, some measure of reasoning could be achieved, and two, he was a damned _clown_. And even after all that time, all the things he had faced, clowns still terrified him. Odd, but true.

A quick peek showed him that the security guard by the door was out of commission, whether temporarily or not. The Joker had brought one muscle, his psycho-ladyfriend, Harley Quinn, and a pair of...hyenas. _Great_.

Escaping was sounding less and less like a possibility right now.

"Stan, Ollie, empty the counters. Harley, guard," the white-faced madman said, imperiously.

"Uh, Mistah J, shouldn't this be backwards?" Harley asked.

The man stopped for a moment, thinking.

"Draug, Yelrah. Sretnuoc eht ytpme, Eillo, Nats. There, better now?" he replied, smiling deviously.

"Uh, but..." she tried again.

"DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO!" the Joker screamed maniacally, and Harley started smashing the counters' glasses, with help from the muscle.

"Good God, good help is so hard to find these days, don't you think?" he complained as he continued forward, approaching the frozen and shaking manager. That's when he also noticed Xander hiding. "My, my... what do we have here? Stand up, my fellow pirate. Stand up!" he commanded, pointing a gun with a _very_ long barrel in his direction. "Did we come in at a bad time? Were you already pillaging this nice establishment?"

"Uh...no," Xander replied, trying to keep his nerves in check.

"No? What were you doing then?"

"Umm...buying a ring?"

"BUYING? A PIRATE? BUYING SOMETHING? WHAT HAS THE WORLD COME TO?" the Joker screamed, and the manager jumped slightly. Xander just cringed.

"You know I'm not exactly a pirate, right?"

"What is this, then?" the Clown Prince of Crime asked, using the gun's barrel to point Xander's eyepatch.

"Accident at the job," he replied, evenly.

The Joker approached, and moved the eyepatch, showing the empty eye socket. Xander resisted the urge to clobber the maniac right then and there.

"Uhh, gross. I _like _it!"

Right then, they both smelled the pungent smell of urine. Both turned to the manager, and a large patch was growing on his pants and on the ground. The Joker laughed.

"You know something? You are one very lucky fellow. I was on a quadruped..."

"QUANDARY!" Harley screamed from a side.

"THAT! A quandary. Right, I was on a quadruped..."

"IT'S QUANDARY!" she screamed again. The Joker lifted the big gun in her general direction, without looking, and pulled the trigger. The _boom_ almost deafened Xander. He turned to look, and Harley was still alive. The decorative statue about two inches from her head, though, had a hole big enough to fit a large orange in, with room to spare.

"NOW, as I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, I was on a quandary, because, you see, I usually take just a hostage with me, and I was in doubt if I'd take my fellow pirate here or you, good man. And you, my lucky fellow, took that decision right out of my hands," he said, and without any warning, lifted the huge gun again, and blew the manager's head off, splattering both him and Xander with blood and brain matter.

"I should have done that from a distance," the Joker said reflectively a moment later, removing a big piece of something from his lapel.

"Why did you do that? He wasn't a threat to you," Xander asked, forsaking his luck for the moment.

"I absolutely abhor the smell of fresh urine. The smell of fresh blood and gray matter, I actually don't mind," the homicidal maniac replied evenly. "HARLEY!"

"All done, Mistah J."

"Good, good. Let's go, before the cops or the Bat arrive. And Harley, do please take Mr. Pirate here with us."

Xander was about to turn and face the madwoman when something hit his head from the back, hard, and he went out like a light. Harley caught him in a fireman's carry and turned to her boss.

"All done, puddin'."

"I told you to not call me that. Now, let's move."

The gang left by the front door, Joker coming last. He turned to the unconscious security guard and removed a small aerosol can from inside his suit.

"Smile for the cameras, my boy," he said, and sprayed a small quantity of his concoction on the guard's face. In moments, the mouth was constricted into a garish grin, which he would take with him to the grave.

* * *

Xander woke up to a very nasty headache. He attempted to open his eye, but his blurred vision worsened the sensation, and he immediately closed it again. He took a breath and paced it like he had learned, focusing on one sense at a time.

First, he was sitting, his back resting against something hard, his hands cuffed around it. Probably a pillar of some sort. There was some weight resting against both his legs, but they weren't bound. Using the rest of his senses, he smelled dried blood, coal, the sea, rust and the hyenas. Listening in, he heard the waves crashing at a distance, a TV set, Harley...singing off-key at the shower and a truck passing by.

So, he was ashore, very close to the sea. Probably in an old warehouse.

Feeling slightly better, the pain having now receded to a dull throb, he attempted to open his eye again, very slowly this time. There was a single lamp illuminating the area he was in, and it was enough to confirm what his other senses had told him. It was indeed a warehouse, and the weight he was feeling were the hyenas, Stan and Ollie, currently sleeping peacefully, using his legs as pillows. He tensed a bit, and it was enough for one of them to shake up slightly and open its eyes to stare up at him.

Xander froze.

The animal took a good look at the now awakened human, stood up, sniffed him a couple times and then started licking his face. If it wasn't for the fetid breath and the teeth he could see, the one-eyed man would find the experience amusing. However, he also noticed one thing, he _wasn't_ afraid of it...her. Somehow, even without being able to see the animal's sex, Xander now knew the hyena was female. They both were.

"The Joker has a weird sense of humor, girl," he murmured to the beast, which had stopped licking him and was waggling her tail. The other one was also awakened, eyeing him curiously. She stood as well, and in the same manner as her companion, wagged her tail. "Well, well. Another one to go to my very own Hall of the Weird. I don't suppose any of you girls have the keys to the cuffs, huh? Thought so."

It wasn't exactly a problem for Xander. Since his Halloween experience quite a few years back, he had retained two important lessons: one, always carry a pair of handcuff keys stashed on your person somewhere. One was in his wallet, which was nowhere in sight, the other was sewn into the brim of his jeans' right leg, currently out of his hand's reach. The second lesson was, learn how to open a handcuff _without_ the need of keys.

This time, he was thankful that whoever had cuffed him to the pillar hadn't removed his coat. Painstakingly, he managed to tear open the small stitch that held the steel wire inside the fold of his leather coat's cuff. Once he had the wire in place, it took him thirty six seconds to open the handcuffs.

He would later learn that Batman took only seven seconds.

Now free, the SoCal native took a deep breath, and scratched both of the hyenas for a while, thinking on a course of action. He could try to escape without being seen. It had the pro of no one being in danger besides him, and he would eventually call either the police or Bruce to handle the Joker and Harley.

However, on the con side, they had stopped his chance of getting Diana's ring, and that was unforgivable.

Xander remembered one dialog some time ago between Buffy and Willow that he overheard when they both thought he was asleep in one of the Pad's couch, before he met Diana.

* * *

-oOo-

"Have you ever though about who you wouldn't want to have as an enemy?" Willow asked while helping Buffy paint her nails. It was a moment that got ever rarer: having most of the Scoobies together at the same place at a time that didn't revolve around an apocalypse of some sort. Buffy was still living in Italy, and Willow spent most of her time between Oxford and the coven at Devon. Xander himself was currently living on the Pad, taking a break from the weird stuff.

"Honestly?" the blonde asked, and while Xander couldn't see it lest he reveal his faux-nap, he could almost sense Willow's nod. "Well, my real enemies, the underword-ly types don't scare me at all, nowadays. Seen them all, killed most of them, anyway, so what's to be afraid of? Sure, I fear that one of them might get lucky and it's bye-bye Buffy, but fear them for themselves? That would be a big no-no. What scares _me_ more than anything is having one of you turned, and then having to face the demon wearing your face. It would not be of the good," Buffy whispered the last part, and Xander almost stood up to hug his best friend. He just didn't do it because he knew Willow would. A couple moments later, he had his confirmation.

"Thanks, Will," Buffy said.

"A...and if you don't mind me asking, which one of u-us you _really_ don't want to have as an enemy?" Buffy apparently didn't answer verbally. "H-him? Why? He's just..."

"Human? I agree, he has no superpowers that I know of, unless you count that One-Who-Sees thingie."

HIM? Buffy, the best Slayer _ever_ was afraid of plain old _him_?

"Think with me for a moment, Will. He never quit, even with all the times we asked him to. Sure, he is taking a break now, but can you see him turning his back on us...on this, for good? I was speaking with Angel once, and found out some stuff I never would have imagined. Do you know he stood up to Angelus using only his guts? That _he_ was the one who forced Angel to show him how to reach the Master's lair? He stood up to you when you went all _grr_. And have you read what he did while in Africa?

"Now," she went on, "picture a man like this turned into a vampire, Will. He would make Angelus and Spike look like two newborn babies afraid of their own diapers. Having him as a friend is the best thing that ever happened to me...to us. Having him as an enemy is a nightmare that I don't ever want to face."

-oOo-

* * *

It took him some time to digest that information and to accept it, and then it took him some more time to go to Giles and ask him to have a plan in place, just in case. Whatever Giles had planned he wasn't privy to, but the look the Head of the Watcher's Council gave him during one meeting a few weeks later was more than enough for him to know it wasn't pretty - at least for him - and that the important thing was that his girls would remain safe, no matter what.

So, it was time to put what Buffy feared in use. First thing he did was to sit in lotus position and relax. The hyenas sat off to one side, away from him for now. In moments, he had reached the necessary meditative status to contact his best friend since childhood.

:Jean, can you hear me:

:Why do you insist on calling me that when we're mind-speaking: Willow replied from the other side of the Atlantic.

:You're a redhead, and we're speaking with our minds. Do you really have to ask? Or do you want me to start calling you Phoenix:

:You're aware they really exist in a reality close to us, right:

:Your point being: Xander mentally smirked. He could almost sense her huffing.

:Since I know you well enough to know that if it was for friendly banter you'd be using the phone, what happened this time:

:What? Can't a friend just call his bestest bud to chat:

:You do that over the phone, usually when you arrive from work and Diana isn't with you. Now, mister, stop avoiding the issue and speak: she demanded humorously.

:Shouldn't it be think:

:Xanderrrrr...:

He grinned. :Okay, okay. Well, look...I'vebeenkidnapped: he said, sheepishly.

The trick usually worked best when speaking. With their minds engaged, it was child's play for Willow to understand him.

:Again? That's usually Dawn's job. She still has the Kidnap Victim of the Year cup we gave her, remember. Should we pass it down to you:

:Har-de-har-har, Wills. If you remember, I was the one who bought the cup and had it engraved. I don't need one adorning my apartment.:

:What happened this time? What type of demon is it? Is it female? Does she want to have your spawn? Does Diana know: the redhead asked smiling and in a teasing mood, while mentally opening another 'channel' to bring Buffy into the conversation.

:It's ...kinda personal. It isn't a demon, there is a female involved, but she's human and as far as I know, she doesn't want to have a spawn of any sort. Not with me, at least. And no, Diana does not know.:

:So what exactly happened with you, then, Xan: Buffy asked, finally entering the conversation.

:As I was saying to our common best friend, Buff, I was kidnapped.:

:That's Dawn's job. You're our Man With da Plan. So, what were you doing this time to be kidnapped: the Slayer asked.

:Uhh...shopping: he replied, hesitating to say more.

:You hate shopping with a vengeance. What kind of sacrifice would require you to go shopping on your own free will: this time Willow asked.

:I had to buy something for Diana.:

:Xander, the last time you wanted something for Diana, you spent an hour with both of us over the phone asking for tips on what to buy, and then you spent another hour finding where to buy it with the least possible hassle. So, spill.:

:Can we focus on the part of me being kidnapped:

:You're not screaming for help, you're calm, from what I know of you, you're already free, and this is just part of whatever zany plan you concocted to extract vengeance from whomever was stupid enough to hijack you. Now, if you want our help, spill: Buffy spoke again.

:Okay, okay: he huffed. :I was buying a ring for Diana. Happy now:

:A ring? What does a ... Wait a minute, you were buying 'The One': Willow asked, eyes wide in the real world. Buffy was so surprised she remained silent.

:She's not Sauron, Willow. But if you're asking if I was buying an engagement ring, the answer is yes. : If he was physically present, he figured the double squeals of delight would split his eardrums. :However, I couldn't even see the things before the Joker spoiled my fun and killed a guy, maybe two, in the process.:

:That majorly sucks, Xan. What can we do to help: Buffy asked, all serious now. Some idiot had prevented her friend from getting an engagement ring for Diana – said idiot DEFINITELY needed to be punished.

He outlined what he had learned and what he had planned and passed the necessary information to them both.

:That's our Man With da Plan, Xan: Buffy said approvingly. :Give us twenty minutes to get everything ready, and five more for us to drop on you. Willow, you have a lock on him:

:Yes, both magically and with a set of coordinates, thanks to a GPS satellite. It wasn't hard to find with the info you gave us. Hang on tight, we're coming.:

:I'll be waiting.:

:Don't do anything stupid: Buffy pleaded.

:No more than what's strictly necessary, Buff. Besides, I have a pair of bodyguards: he said, which got him a double _huh? _:You'll see. I'm waiting. Xander out.:

He woke from the slight trance he had fallen in, devious smile in place.

"Now, girls, want to have some fun?" he asked the hyenas, both of which promptly stood up, going to his side, tails wagging eagerly. "Let's go."

* * *

_SecureNET chat room session started 10:12PM_

MojoedLockpicker: _I know something you don't! **smirk**_

Detective: _I have no time for jokes._

MojoedLockpicker: _But you do have time for a Joker._

Detective: _Speak. Fast._

MojoedLockpicker: _OneEye made t-contact with RedTree. Hijacked by Joker and goons. Is alive and well so far. Warehouse 12, at the docks. Asking for you, WarriorGirl and KryptoMan. Slay1 and RedTree inbound in t-minus 12 and counting, with team. Go on in hot._

Detective: _Joker is my responsibility, and I work alone._

MojoedLockpicker: _Not tonight. OneEye is family, and we don't leave family behind… Try and stop us at your own risk._

Detective _has disconnected 10: 14PM_

MojoedLockpicker_ has disconnected 10: 14PM_

* * *

The air crackled with a small storm of energy for several moments, divided between mystical and technological. When it dissipated, it left in its wake two very different groups of people. One consisted of part of the Justice League: Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. From the look coming from the Amazon Princess, she would be more than enough to sink half the coastal area of Gotham City alone. The other brought forth a group of seven baby Slayers, Buffy and Willow, the latter's powers showing clearly even to a blind man. All of them, to the last girl, appeared ready to fight, with swords and/or axes drawn, fighting stances or simply the exuded menace some were able to pull just by being there.

Aside from the psychological factor, it was unneeded.

Xander was waiting for them, sitting on the filthy ground holding a piece of purple cloth above his functional eye and they all could see that it was stained a darker hue, with blood. Diana ran to him at once, followed closely by Buffy and Willow.

"Xander, love, are you all right?" her anger dimmed by worry about her lover.

"Yeah, it's just a scratch. Bleeds like hell, though," he said. She removed the cloth to see that it, indeed, was just a cut above his eyebrow. Superman squinted his eyes for a few moments.

"He's okay, nothing damaged," the Man of Steel confirmed, serving to calm the Amazon even further with his assessment.

"What happened?" Batman asked, approaching in a silent glide, his eyes scanning his surroundings in habitual surveillance mode. Buffy lifted her hand and gave a series of silent gestures to her sisters. They fanned out into the darkness of the warehouse, searching.

"Girls, keep away from the bathroom, it's the second door in that direction," Xander pointed.

"Why?" the Dark Knight asked.

"Harley's being guarded by Stan and Ollie, and I don't know if they will attack anyone who tries to enter the room, besides me."

"Stan? Ollie?" Willow asked.

"Joker's pet hyenas. As for what happened, in the Cliff Notes version, I freed myself, discovered that the hyenas liked me, contacted Buffy and Willow, explained my plan to them and then went after Joker and his goons. His minion is out of commission somewhere back there, Harley was showering when I left the hyenas guarding her – don't worry, the bathroom door is locked from the outside, she won't escape that easily. As for the Joker, I wasn't going to face him directly, but it's like they say, no plan survives direct contact with the enemy. He came looking for Harley and saw me free. We fought, he managed to hit a good one, hence my bleeding out; then once I was calm enough to notice I had broken his left arm and his right knee, he begged me to stop and tried to buzz me with one of his joy buzzers. I took exception," he said, darkly.

"I found him," Superman said, bringing the madman dressed only in smiley underwear, trussed up like a pig in what most of them knew were the remains of his purple suit. He was badly bruised, and not even his chalk white skin was enough to hide the damage he had suffered. Xander, however, had tied him in a way that one arm served as a splinter for the broken one, and did the same with the legs.

"Just don't let him sit down," Xander warned. "I don't want to be accused of murder."

Understanding dawned on most of them almost immediately. Buffy glanced over to Willow and the look of disgust in her face, and promptly understood what Xander had done.

"Eugh, Xander. _Gross!_"

Diana stood up, and grabbed the Clown Prince of Crime, removing him from Superman's hands and bringing him half an inch from her face. "Do something like this again, madman, and I can guarantee you will never walk again," she said through gritted teeth.

Joker only nodded, too damaged and tied to do anything else.

"Wonder Woman, let him go," Batman ordered. Diana shoved him away none too gently. Luckily for him, he didn't land on his butt and risk triggering the deadly joy buzzer currently stored in a place the sun didn't shine upon.

* * *

After the police had taken the Joker and his gang into custody, with a little side talk from Batman with the police Commissioner regarding the presence of Xander and a lot of teenage girls in the crime scene, they were all standing in the empty warehouse.

"We're all going back to the Pad. Since I don't believe you'll want teenage girls wandering around the Watchtower, want to join us so I can explain it all?" Xander offered, his cut now properly dressed by a paramedic that had arrived with the police to take the Joker to a secure hospital for an emergency operation.

Batman nodded. Diana was already perched at Xander's side, holding on firmly. Superman approached the group, while Willow started chanting. In seconds, the entire group was transported from the shores of Gotham City to a castle smack dab in the middle of England. As soon as they arrived, the baby Slayers disbanded, heading to their rooms and showers, leaving only the core Scoobies and the Justice League.

Before he could start speaking to them all, Xander turned to Diana. "I wanted to make this a surprise to you, but I can't now, Joker took the opportunity right from under my feet. I…"

"Xander," Willow interrupted hesitantly. The one-eyed man turned to his best friend, emotions storming under his eye. "I…I might have a solution for that. I-if you want to, that is."

Hope began once again to shine on the man's lone eye. "How?"

"Well, i-it's an old spell I found. I have to tweak it a bit, but I think it might work."

Xander frowned. "It won't blow up on us, will it?"

"No, if something goes wrong, nothing will happen," she hid the 'I think'.

Diana was lost. "What is this all about, love?"

The one-eyed man turned all of his attention back to Diana. He took a deep breath. "In the old days, I would never do something like this. I used to put everyone else's needs before my own. B-but I can't do that, n-not with you, not with what I feel for you. I know there's the meeting with your mother, and I fear what might happen there…"

"Xander…" she started.

"Let me finish, please."

She silenced.

"I fear that she might suspend your ban, and you'll want to get back to the Island and leave me. I fear that your mother might forbid you from seeing me again. I fear she might do both. I know you love me but she is your mother, after all. This might sound like I want to tip the scales my way, and I'm honest enough to say it's true. I don't want to enslave you, but I don't want to let you go either," he said, voice thick with emotion.

Diana's eyes were wide.

"What I'm trying to say is," he said, bending on one knee and holding one of her surprisingly trembling hands on his own, "will you marry me?"

Diana's answer a few seconds later was to pull him up, grab him in a hug that she had to control lest she break him in half and kiss the living daylights out of him.

"I guess that means 'Yes'," Buffy said, crying with happiness, the same happening with Willow. Superman was smiling, and Batman was…almost. Giles had appeared mid-speech and stood to a side, his eyes moist.

Xander was almost fainting with the lack of oxygen when Diana finally let him go. "If the kiss wasn't answer enough for that thick head of yours, the answer is yes, love. Yes, I'll marry you. And no one, not even my mother, will have a say in that. I won't trade my own happiness for a fleeting chance of going back home. Besides, I could never abandon my job as one of Earth's defenders."

The one-eyed man was crying silently, and Diana pulled him into another kiss. Willow cleared her throat, interrupting them. Her emotions were back in check, thankfully.

"What Xander said earlier and I said I could do, Diana, has its roots in our traditions when a loved one asks another in marriage. He was trying to buy your engagement ring when the Joker stopped him from doing so."

"I don't need a ring for you to prove your love and commitment to me, Xander," she said.

"It's tradition, Di. Besides, I wanted to," he continued. "What can you do for that, Willow?"

"I need you guys to hold hands, both hands, one facing the other, and think of what one is to the other, what one feels for the other."

They complied, looking into one another's eyes, and the rest of the world dimmed for them. Neither noticed Willow's hair turning a glowing white and her floating a few inches above the ground.

"_Mother Hecate, hear my plea. Goddess Aphrodite, hear my plea. Give thy blessings to these loved ones. Make their feelings for one another take shape. Turn their commitment to one another into a symbol, ever lasting and without end. Bind their souls through love now and for eternity. So I said, so mote it be!"_

No one expected three strong voices to echo from the ether through the room, two females, one male. "SO MOTE IT BE!"

The white flash of light that burst from their joined hands almost blinded them all.

"I'd say the gods were truly watching over them both," Giles intoned as soon as his vision cleared.

* * *

Xander and Diana were both looking in awe at the two rings resting on the demigoddess' palm. Xander picked one up, looking at it thoroughly. They were about once centimeter wide, and about three or four millimeters thick, made of a metal resembling platinum, only not – Mithril, perhaps? In the middle, lengthwise, there was a groove about four millimeters wide that housed something that looked like a crystal, but he had never seen a crystal that could be poured over a surface, and done so perfectly as to cover the entire groove making it seem as one entire ring of crystal without any cuts whatsoever.

Besides, the crystal was pulsing with a dim blue light. Pulsing in sync with something…

When he looked to the ring still in Diana's hand, he understood.

"Your heartbeat. This ring is pulsing in sync with your heartbeat," he intoned in awe to Diana, looking at his own ring.

"This is so beautiful. I couldn't possibly use it. I fear I'd break it," the Demigoddess said.

"I don't think it's possible," the redhead disagreed. "Superman, mind coming here for a moment?" she asked a bit in awe, finally really noticing the guests they had at the moment.

The Man of Steel approached. Willow picked Xander's ring for a moment.

"Mind trying to bend it?" the redhead asked the superhero.

"I might break it."

"If I did it right, and from the proof we had I think I did, I don't think you have strength enough to do it. Try it, please."

At Xander and Diana's confirming nods, he picked the ring between fingers that were able to transform diamonds into dust and started pressing. They all saw his forearm's muscle tremble with the effort, and the ring remained whole. He then picked it between his hands and applied even more pressure for a few moments. He finally opened his hands, and there the ring remained, without even a hint of a scratch to show.

"I've never felt anything so resistant before," Kal-El said in awe.

"Well, I'd say it's superhero-proofed," Willow smirked, and returned the ring to Xander's hand. "I think you can do it properly now, Xander."

Xander took Diana's ring and picked her right hand. "I love you. Now and Forever," he said, placing the ring into her finger.

"And I love you. Now and Forever," she said, and put the ring she was holding into his finger.

They kissed.

* * *

Giles had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, that there was something more to what was happening here than a man asking a woman to marry him, even with the Gods' help. It wasn't bad, but it was something that required some research.

As soon as the party he knew was coming came to an end.

* * *

In the bowels of Arkham Asylum, in the depths of the Maximum Security wing, the nights were always disturbing. The sounds of ranting, raving, cries of hopelessness, despair and revenge, were all mixed together in a chaotic symphony of madness.

But, for the next several weeks at least, there was another element, as one of the Asylum's frequent residents would wake in the middle of the night, screaming "No!" The undertones of panic and fear were clear in the words. "No More Pirates!"


	17. Chapter 17

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, for now.

**Author's Notes:**. Thanks go to the Usual Suspects (Grey, Ice, M, and Keyser Soze), this time. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Author's Notes, The Sequel Part Deux: **Well, the chapter most of you people have been waiting for. Dunno if I managed to deliver, reviews will tell me so.

**Feedback**: YESSSS!!!! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!!

* * *

Diana, sitting at the pilot's chair, needed no mirrors to figure what Xander's face looked like at that moment. Since they embarked on the jet, he had said nary a word, and the previous look he had given her upon boarding more than reflected what he was feeling at that exact moment.

"I hope this has nothing to do with the hyenas," she said, trying to bring his most humorous - and common - side to the front.

He gave away a snort, and chuckled. "I still say they would be cool pets."

"Until they decided to eat the visitors," she replied, glad that her mission was somewhat accomplished.

"With the type of visitors we sometimes get, you think this is a bad thing?"

She laughed. "Hope your friend can reintegrate them to the wild."

"Peter is a genius," he commented. "Sometimes I think he's Tarzan's blood relative. First time I saw him _talking_ with a wild lion, I almost wet my pants. Know that phrase, someone has a green thumb?"

She nodded.

"I think Peter has a wild thumb. Heck, a wild _everything_. If someone can do it, he can. By the way, remind me to thank Superman for taking them there."

She nodded once again. "I will. I'd like to meet this friend of yours sometime."

It took him a long time to answer back, and the tone was not humorous. "Sure."

Well, so much for taking him out of his funk. "Want to talk about it, love?"

He didn't reply at once. Matter of fact, the silence stretched for more than five minutes, before he spoke again, his voice weak. "I don't know what to do, Di. I've never had to face a parent like that. Cordelia was…her parents never even knew we were dating. With Anya, well, her parents were dead for like a thousand years, I don't even know if she remembered them. Willow's were always absent. Mine are not worth mentioning. The only parent worth knowing in the Scoobs was Buffy's mom, and I've never had to have that talk with her. So, I don't have the slightest idea on what to do," he repeated again.

"I think you'll be fine, love" she reassured him.

"I don't think you see the problem here, Di, but I do. I know you love me, and by the Gods, I know I never loved someone more, but let's be realistic, we're living a sort of fairy tale here, with you being the princess and me being the frog. And let's be honest, your kiss didn't turn me into another prince, just a lovesick frog. And no royalty wants a frog sitting on their dining table."

Diana sighed. If he were someone else, she'd probably dump him right then and there, but she knew that his upbringing had given him a very dim perspective on his own worth.

"Does it really matter what my mother thinks of you? While I respect her judgment on most things, I know for a fact that, whatever she ends up saying or deciding won't color my decision. I love you, Xander, and I know for a fact that you are one of the most incredible beings I've ever met, powers or no, immortality or no," she said, as an idea sprouted in her mind that maybe could help him see how great he really was. "Did Bruce tell you how his crusade started?"

"I gathered a few things, Alfred told me another couple, and I did some research, so yes, I do have some idea how it all started. Why?"

"Put yourself in his place now, with all the money he has and all the motivation he had. Would you end up doing the same?"

He thought it out for a few seconds. "If my parents were worth it, yeah, I'd probably do it."

"You are absolutely sure about that?"

Another few moments of thought. "Yeah, I am."

"Why?"

An even longer stretch of thought. "Because I did the same for a friend who was my brother in all but blood. I swore to myself that I would do anything that I could so that no one else would suffer the same fate."

"Good. Now, you didn't have his money or his training, but nonetheless you faced everything the demon world threw your way and you and your friends defeated all of it. You could have cowered and ran, yet you didn't. So, in my opinion, you are a hero as much as Bruce is."

"But I'm not immortal," he replied weakly, mind in turmoil between accepting what his fiancée was saying and what he had been raised to believe.

"Neither am I, love," she replied, calmly. "I have the potential to live for a very long time, that's true, but I age just the same as everything else. Not even the Universe is immortal. Aside from that, I _can_ be killed, and in my line of work, I lay my life on the line all the time. So I don't have any expectations of living to see the sun turn into a supernova, or even to see it rise tomorrow. I live _today_, for tomorrow may never come. I don't _care_ if you'll grow old and die, unless if you don't want to grow old and die by my side.

"I _love_ you, Alexander Harris, and that's what really matters to me."

Xander was transfixed --they had some similar talks in the past, but she had never put her reasoning quite like that. Besides, he could swear he was almost _feeling_ her emotions right at that moment. He spared a brief glance to his ring, thinking quickly about what had happened only a few days ago.

"Okay, okay, I believe you. Now, what can I expect from your mother?" he said, glad once again for having her on his life.

Diana smiled. "Well, she's fair, strong and very intelligent. She is also an amazing warrior, and while ruling the Amazons might have taken a bit of her edge, I know very few sisters who could defeat her in combat. Don't worry, Buffy knows that," she said, knowing what his next question would probably be.

"I wonder if she stopped cursing already," he replied smirking, thinking about the training Buffy had to go through because of the plan they had concocted.

"She still does, occasionally, but now it's mostly when she misses a thread or a knot. Back to my mother, and what I think her reactions will probably be. One, she'll be polite to you, and it will be partly forced and partly upbringing as a Queen. Because of that, she _won't_ disrespect you, whatever issues she has against our relationship. Two, she's also going to be extremely protective of me, both in my role as a Princess of the Amazons and as her daughter. She may, better yet, she _will_ try to dissuade me from marrying you, not because of _us_, but because of the leverage you'll have being my husband."

"Why? Because I might end up becoming a Prince of the Amazons? And let me tell ya, Di, this is a role I most _surely_ don't want. I had my share of being the only piece of available and worthy manflesh for a group of hormone-driven teenage girls."

Di chuckled. "Afraid of my sisters? Don't be, the role of Prince does not exist in the Royal Charter, and even if you stake a claim for the position, you'll have absolutely no power, even in the dim chance I end up being the Queen if something happens to mother . . . or Donna, since my exile still stands."

"Do you?" Xander asked.

"What? Want to be Queen?"

"Yeah."

"If the need ever arises, I'll bear the weight as I should. As for really wanting the position, no, I do not. I have absolutely no patience for politics or long winded arguments. I can be a diplomat, sure, I have the training for it, but just put me in the initial discussions. If I have to go all the way, I'll probably end up killing someone I should be making nice with. That is a role more fitting for Donna. Mother realized this a while ago, and she started training her more in the affairs of the court."

"I thought being Queen for your sisters was an easy task. There aren't many of you to begin with, and with the immortality, I think that everyone really knows everyone else, so the relationships would be pretty strong and easygoing."

"You forget we're a race of warrior women. More often than not, Mother has to lockup some of my sisters for a while to break the tension that springs up between them. I myself have spent more than one night in one of our 'cells' to calm my temper after a particularly nasty fight."

He chuckled, and sobered almost instantly. "Don't tell me it's an island populated by immortal teenagers," he asked, actually scared with the proposition.

"No," she said, chuckling again, and thinking why they had never spoken much about the Island and her sisters in the past. "We're all pretty much level-headed women, but all of us, to the last one, have been trained to be a warrior first, and all the rest later. Fighting is in our blood, and I guess you know really well how this goes."

"I do. Believe me, I do."

Their argument was cut short by a beep in Diana's console.

"We're arriving, love."

"Can't we turn back now and go to Tahiti instead?" he murmured.

"I'm afraid not, Xander. Come on, let's get this over with."

* * *

The place chosen for the meeting was actually called the Island of Meeting, and Diana had told Xander everything about it when they learned where it would take place. The island was a thin strip of sand and rock, very close to the shores of Themyscira, and it still fell under the main island's wards and jurisdiction. However, once there, a different set of rules entered into effect. In the old days, when the island had more contact with the outside world, it was the place where trading occurred. So, men were allowed on its shores for a brief period of time. While not exactly a rule to be obeyed, the presence of weapons on the island was frowned upon, since it also acted as a sort of 'embassy' of all foreign lands on Themysciran soil.

Diana took the invisible jet on a low overpass above the entire Paradise Island, and Xander's only reaction was to gawk stupidly with the wonders he was seeing below. The place really was built by the Gods, and for a moment, the male thought that if they ever decided to open the island to tourism, the Amazons would probably be able to buy the entire United States and half of Europe with money to spare. She received a communication of some sort from the island below, giving her the approach vectors for her landing.

In mere moments, Diana was performing a perfect VTOL landing on the Island of Meeting, about a mile away from Themyscira's shores. While they were landing, the One Who Sees noticed that a single construction dominated the northwest corner of the small island. It could be called a temple, if someone so desired, but the simplistic design told him that the architects of the place only wanted a place where visitors could sit away from the burning sun, never mind the place being made of marble and polished to a near-mirror finish.

The couple disembarked from the jet, and took some slight time to straighten their clothes, or at least Xander did. Diana, obviously, still looked like she had put the pure linen and gold-embroidered toga a few minutes earlier.

From there on, the only male in about a couple hundred miles started thinking in military fashion. Meeting Diana's mother was an exercise in planning and perfect maneuvers, from the clothes they were wearing, going through the type of aftershave he chose to wear, to how to present the gift he had brought to Hyppolita.

He could already see the Queen sitting on a chair inside the construction, Donna waiting at her side. When she didn't rise to meet them, Xander's heart sunk a bit further. He was expecting it, he knew enough about diplomacy to know that a visiting person, if welcome, would be received halfway between his landing point and the place of the actual meeting. The fiancées approached holding hands, another planned step, to show that their commitment wasn't to be ignored. In Xander's free hand, he carried an ornate wood box, Hyppolita's gift.

As soon as they stepped inside the temple, Diana lowered herself on one knee, head bent low, Xander doing exactly the same.

"#We came as ordered, Mother,#" Di said, treating her parent like just that, a parent, and not her Queen.

"#Rise, my daughter, and come forward. It's been a while since I've seen you,#" Hyppolita said, and while Xander couldn't see her face, her inflections told him quite a lot, but nothing that he didn't know already. That meant he was being ignored and Hyppolita was taking the opportunity to see her exiled daughter.

They traded stiff and awkward hugs, one because the Queen was not usually prone to them, the other because of the situation itself.

"#You look well, daughter. Tell me, is that him?# Hyppolita asked, voice neutral.

"#Yes, Mother. Mother, I'd like you to meet Alexander Harris, my betrothed. Alexander, my mother, Hyppolita, Queen of the Amazons.#"

The word 'betrothed' brought a gasp of surprise from Donna and a raised eyebrow from Hyppolita. The young man rose from the ground, and bowed once more to the Queen.

"#Queen Hyppolita, it's an honor finally meeting you,#" he said, his accent flawless. That brought another raised eyebrow from the Queen.

"#My intelligence network needs to work a bit harder. I wasn't informed of this,#" she said, her voice a tad harsher than what she probably intended, but her face closed off in a practiced mask of neutrality.

"It's a fairly new development, Mother. Not even all of our friends know it yet," Diana said, turning to English.

"I see," she said, voice back to being even. Damn, the woman was _good_, Xander had to admit. "I bid you welcome to the Island of Meeting, Alexander. Come, sit, we have much to discuss," she continued.

"Before we do that, Queen Hyppolita, I brought a gift for you," he said, presenting the ornate box for the Queen.

She turned minutely to Diana, and albeit Xander couldn't see it, he knew his fiancée had given Hyppolita a confirming nod. The blonde Queen opened the box, and saw inside it rested a magnificently crafted sword, the same shape but slightly longer than a Roman gladius. The entire sword had been designed using Diana's description about her mother, both as a person and as ruler, and thanks to her amazing spatial knowledge, it was balanced as close as possible to the Queen, short of putting her in a 3D scanner and calculating all of her measurements. The hilt was interlaced in a pattern of copper and gold, woven with leather for a better grip, everything treated against oxidation and corrosion. A single aquamarine decorated the pommel. The crossguard flowed nicely from the hilt, the pattern opening up and flowing like small golden and copper waves towards both ends. The blade in itself had two grooves in each side, about half an inch away from the razor sharp edge, following its shape until they met almost at the tip. The insides of the grooves were coated with gold, giving it an astounding effect. The last piece of decoration was a single word carved in Greek near the crossguard, lengthwise to the blade. _Pax. _Peace.

It was, all things considered, a weapon fit to a Warrior Queen, short of a blade forged by Hephaestus himself.

Hyppolita lifted an eyebrow, her demeanor changing slightly. "It is a strange gift to bestow upon a Queen, Alexander, especially under the circumstances."

Xander gulped. "W-we knew what your reaction might be, Queen Hyppolita, and I think an explanation is in order. You see, it's customary to bring a gift for your girlfriend's mother the first time you meet her," he started, controlling his nerves lest he started babbling.

"I am aware of this custom," she said.

"I asked Diana about which gift to bring you, and every common thing fell short – flowers, sweets, wine and the like. Since you're a warrior to begin with, and a Queen as well, I've decided to give you a weapon fit enough for a queen. I've asked the best weaponsmith the Council had to create this sword for you. The idea behind it is that this is the only weapon in the island, and while it is an instrument of War, placing it, and thus my life, in your hands, means that I also put my faith in the Peace and ultimate good relationship between us."

She mused the information for an instant. "It's an interesting concept, Alexander, and I thank you for this gift, and the intention which it was given," Hyppolita said and closed the box, putting it to a side. "Now, let's sit and talk, we have much to discuss. I believe you know my daughter, Donna."

"Yes, I do. Good to see you again, Donna," he said, really glad to see her again.

"Likewise, Xander," she replied with a smile, and sat to her mother's side. "How's Hope?"

"She's doing well, giving Faith and the Cleveland Slayers a bit of hell," he said, humorously.

"She is your daughter, yes?" Hyppolita interceded, and from the tone she asked, he knew he was in trouble.

"Biologically, yes, she is," he replied evenly, leaving the Queen to steer the conversation.

"What do you mean? Is she or isn't she your daughter?" she continued.

"What I meant is that Faith and her husband, Robin, couldn't have a child of their own, since Robin is sterile. They agreed between themselves to try out artificial insemination. You know of the procedure?"

"Yes, I do."

"Ok, they also decided that they wanted a child from someone that, if something happened to either of them, would raise the child as one of their own, in a way they would be proud of. This left very little choice for them, since Faith trusts only three male figures in her life, one of them being her husband. Giles, the other one, is getting old, and this became an issue. That only left me as a candidate to donate the …ah, material...to perform the insemination."

"So, you are the child's father."

"As I said, biologically, yes. As for being Hope's father, that responsibility currently falls in Robin's hands. If, and only _if_ by some reason something happens to him, I'll try to be the father figure for her. For now, I'm just her godfather, and one of my best friends is her godmother."

"I see," Hyppolita said simply, and Xander had no idea on her evaluation of the situation. "And what made you bless her into the Nation, Diana?"

"I think Donna told you what kinds of people surround her, Mother, her family. If the females can't be called Amazons, I don't know what they are. They are noble, strong, and faults notwithstanding, each and every one has a place in our midst, as equals. She is the first newborn among them, and I thought that she would benefit from learning from both our worlds. Their mentor told me that there is a strong possibility that the child will be a Slayer as soon as she is of age. With the Amazons' knowledge and training, she would be a tremendous force for good in the World."

"I would like to meet the child and the mother soon," the Queen said. "I trust your judgment, Diana, but I'd like to see for myself."

"We'll organize something, as soon as the child is able enough to travel safely," Diana said.

"Agreed. Now, Alexander, tell me more about these…Slayers, and your involvement with them."

Xander stopped for a moment, putting his thoughts in order, and started telling his story, as truthfully as he could remember.

* * *

Hyppolita listened intently to the story the young man was telling. It was easy to see why Diana had fallen for him. She waited until he finished, and by then her intuition was at odds with her memory. One was screaming for her to trust the man, that he was as good as his story told her he was, the other was reminding her of her own past experiences. While she wanted to ignore one of them entirely, the same memories reminded her it wasn't wise to do so. So she sighed, and turned to the couple sitting in front of her, her heart once more clenching with the decision she had to take.

"Your story paints you in a very favored light, young Alexander, and I know from Donna and her contact with your friends that what you told me is true, even if you downplayed your role in it somewhat."

That brought a small smile to the young man's face, and a dazzling one to her daughter's. She knew the young man knew what was coming, but her daughter was still too naïve to see it. That was another reason why she had to do it.

"My instincts tell me that you are a good man, one I'd like to know and call a friend. However, at the same time, my memories remind me that I did the same in the past, and the consequences were very severe. I'm well aware that my past experiences cannot serve as a judgmental basis for the situation you both find yourselves in, and in my role as a mother, I'd say that Diana, while still learning, is more than an adult, and quite capable of making her own decisions and commit her own mistakes." That was said on a tone bordering on sentimental, albeit still neutral enough as to not offend them both with the rest of her speech.

"However," she continued, this time, sounding like the Queen she was, "I'm also Diana's Queen, and while her exile places her in a situation outside of my control, I cannot simply ignore it. So, I will not give you my blessing, and while the rules tell me I should arrest you, Diana, for attempting a relationship with a male stranger, thus putting all of your Sisters in danger, I won't do that. You seem trustworthy enough, Alexander, and I know my daughter is more than capable enough to defend herself physically if you try to harm her. Emotionally, I know for a fact she isn't."

Xander's face was set in stone. Her daughter's was a mix between deep sadness and profound anger.

"Diana, I'm prepared to welcome you back into our midst. However, if you accept, I cannot allow you to leave for the foreseeable future. This is not an order, it is a request," she said, her tone clearly denoting what she was expecting as an answer. It was, of course, a clear attempt of killing two birds with a single stone, ending Diana's exile justifiably by separating them.

Diana's eyes and voice turned to steel. "I cannot accept it, My Queen. Not only because of Xander, but because of my own responsibilities with the Justice League."

"I understand," she said, and stood up. "It was good seeing you again, Diana. Alexander, I'm doing one thing I never thought possible, I'm going against my personal beliefs regarding you. Be aware that I'll be watching over you both, and if I think that this decision will come back to harm us, I'm going to deal with the problem myself, and you won't like the outcome, at all."

He nodded his understanding, of both the situation and Hyppolita's perception of it. "In your position, I'd do the same, Queen Hyppolita. Thank you for listening to us. I wish the outcome would be different, but deep down, I knew what to expect. Donna, if your mother allows it, know you'll be welcome in our home any time. The same goes to you, Hyppolita;, if you ever wish to visit, we'll receive you with open arms."

"I thank you, Alexander, and I bid you both goodbye and a safe trip back," she said, deeply saddened, all of her defenses down for a moment.

"Thank you," he said, while Diana only nodded, tears threatening to fall from her ice blue eyes.

As soon as Hyppolita left with Donna, they did.

* * *

It took a while of Xander whispering his love and sweet nothings on Diana's ear for her to stop crying. Once she was back to herself enough to talk, he disentangled from her side and sat at her front.

"It wasn't anything different than what I was expecting, and I think it wasn't too far away from your own expectations, Di," he said. "Matter of fact, I think it actually went well."

"How can you say that, Xander? Did you listen to what she said?" she said, angered.

"Yes, I did. Paid attention to every single word. And you want to know my conclusions?"

She nodded affirmatively.

"From what I could understand, Queen Hyppolita will not accept me;she can't, actually, since, I'm too much of an unknown for her to do so. It was mostly the same reaction she had when she exiled you for bringing the Justice League to defeat Faust. I can accept that, and it would be too hypocritical of me to not do so. From what you told me, her life was one betrayal after the other. Trusting, for her, comes at too high a price. She has her Amazons to think about, as well. Your Mother, on the other hand, has given me the benefit of a doubt, and she is paying the price of doing so. She is distanced even more of you because of that, and I could see the pain it caused her. Don't resent her;, put yourself in her shoes for a moment, and you'll see she couldn't do different."

Diana became thoughtful for a very long time. "What can we do, then?"

"I intend on never betraying that trust, and loving you as you deserve to be loved, for as long as I can. As for the rest, we still have Buffy."

"Do you think she'll succeed?"

"I can only hope, love. I can only hope," he said, while the sun was setting on the horizon. "Come on, let's go home."


	18. Chapter 18

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, for now.

**Author's Notes:**. Thanks go to IceWing, this time. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Author's Notes 2:** This has direct links to Queen of the Alexions, so I suggest you read it first.

**Feedback**: YESSSS!!!! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!!

* * *

Xander walked into the Batcave with his mind still thinking about what had transpired back in Themyscira. Buffy's 'exile' and then his ideas about Diana's own were taking a heavy toll in his thoughts. He climbed the final steps to find an un-cowed Bruce checking something on the huge screen that dominated a part of the cavern. This was the first time they would have met after the fiasco with the Joker a while back.

"You took quite a gamble," the hero said, without turning to him directly. The one-eyed man almost asked how, but why should he bother? Batman really _was_ the world's finest detective.

"We had to try something, Bruce, and you know as well as I do that, as much as good as the League does, most of the UN still think you guys are a bunch of loose cannons. Any effort you people would put into recognizing the Amazons would seem like an underhanded attempt into recognizing your _own_ independence. And I think you know what this would cause, don't you?"

That was a thing Batman was well aware of, and one of the major rules of the League. They didn't deal with politics.

"Ms. Summers is out of contact for the foreseeable future. I suggest relocating Mrs. Wood back to England, and offer her a position as an advanced trainer, instead of front line combat," he said, still not looking at Xander. That small sentence served to prove that Batman indeed had more than a passing knowledge of their activities. "As for the Slayers Mr. Giles wishes to send to Gotham, tell him to change Ms. Bridlow for Ms. Yamahura. She's older and has more experience, and I'm placing her as your own personal assistant for Wayne Construction."

"And if you don't know how much I paid for my gas bill last month, I'll eat my eye patch."

"Twelve dollars, thirty seven cents," Bruce said, and finally looked at him, no hint of humor in his face.

Xander groaned.

* * *

Batman was eyeing Xander's warm-up exercises with interest. While the younger man was fitter than most, he wasn't exactly nimble. According to his training charts, he needed many more months until he came to what Bruce deemed acceptable. However, something had changed from the last session to today. His body's language was still mostly the same, but his movements seemed more solid, more certain than the previous time. That caused a small alarm bell to ring inside the detective's head.

Once he was finished, Xander approached the mat and bowed to him. The ex-Watcher didn't assume any particular fighting stance, it was something that has been drilled by Batman since their first lesson. After all, why show your enemy what you know by simply standing there? What Bruce had done was to teach him how to assume a well-balanced base and still seem mostly relaxed, but with enough readiness to fight in any given direction. To master even this seemingly simple position usually took months of repetition, but today he did it immediately, and it looked good. Perfect, even.

The alarm bell grew in volume and insistence.

Bruce usually didn't have to think much in order to train him, he had set a training regimen in his head, and so far it had proven to work as he expected. However, the alarm in his head made him change things slightly for today. If he was right, it would change everything from this point on, if not, Xander wouldn't even realize it after the third strike, he would be hitting the mat before then. He assumed the same position that Xander did, the cape covering most of his body, thus making nearly impossible for the young man to read the minute changes that would signal an attack.

The superhero then moved, chambering his right leg for an attack mid torso. Instead of deflecting the kick with his arms, Xander twisted his upper torso, effectively moving out of the way of the kick. Batman's left arm came up, intending on hitting him right in the face, but Xander defended against it while his own left moved like a cobra, the two folded fingers hitting his mostly unprotected shoulder in the exact spot where the nerve cluster resided. A sharp jolt descended the detective's arm, not hard enough to paralyze it, but enough to be noticed for some time. That movement alone turned the alarm bell into a klaxon, and the Dark Knight smirked.

It was time to have some fun.

* * *

Dick Grayson descended the steps warily. When he and Bruce had parted ways, it wasn't on good terms, and he always feared that he could never come back to the cave and be welcomed again. Not that he had any intention of coming back – not as Bruce's shadow, at least, but in a way Bruce had been the father figure in his life for quite a while now, and while he didn't miss Mr. Grumpy Cape, he did miss his father. Once he hit bottom, he heard the well-known sound of fighting, or in this case, sparring. He walked to the training mats one level below, and what he saw certainly impressed him.

Bruce was sparring with a younger man, close to Dick's own age. While Bruce was clearly the better fighter – after all, he was arguably the _best_ human fighter in the world – the one-eyed (and that sent a shiver down Dick's spine, he had one too many encounters with Deathstroke to know better) man was holding on expertly. Dick thought that, one on one, he and the other man would be pretty much matched in ability. However, his fighting style was uncommon, and it seemed as if he was still mastering it. He was compensating with frightening speed and strength, and Dick realized that the only thing saving Bruce's arms and legs from being useless tomorrow were the reinforced pads in his batsuit.

"Halt," Bruce said, and the look of deep concentration in the other guy's face was substituted by one of great surprise.

"H-how?" he asked, checking his own body.

"I have a theory, I'll explain in a moment. What do you want?"

Dick took some moments to realize that Batman had spoken to him. "What, can't a guy come to visit once in a while?"

"I still remember how we parted ways, it doesn't seem like a way to leave the door with a welcome rug under."

Dick walked closer to them. "New Bat-something?" he asked, pointing to the still surprised one-eyed man.

"No. What do you want?"

"Lose the attitude, Bat. I'm not one of the bad guys. If you want me to go, I'll go, just say so."

Bruce removed the cowl, the scowl under it was even worse than the one he used to give bad guys so they would wet themselves. After a few seconds, it receded a bit.

"I never wanted you to go in the first place, Robin."

"I'm not Robin anymore, Bruce, and you know it. And if you trust the guy with your identity, least I can do is do the same. Dick Grayson," he said, and turned to one-eye, extending his hand.

"Xander Harris. Nice to meet you," Xander replied, shaking the offered hand with quite some strength under it.

"Likewise," he turned back to the Dark Knight. "And you know why I left. I didn't come over to reopen old wounds, Bruce, I came because I wanted to. I missed you, and I missed Alfred."

The scowl disappeared into Bruce's usual mask of indifference.

"How are things?" Dick asked.

"Gotham hasn't turned into the Eden all of a sudden, so I still have a job to do," Bruce replied, the closest thing to humor he could manage. Even that little joke was enough to tell Dick things would go back to being mostly normal between them. "And I have to train Xander here."

"You're entering the Mask & Cape Club?" Dick asked to the one eyed man.

"Not exactly," Xander said, still shook up. "What the hell is wrong with me, Bruce?"

Bruce turned back to him. "Do you remember your friend's exact words when she did the spell for the rings?" he asked, pointing to the ring currently glowing softly in Xander's finger.

"Some of it, yeah. Not really paying attention then, Bruce. So?"

"_Mother Hecate, hear my plea. Goddess Aphrodite, hear my plea. Give thy blessings to these loved ones. Make their feelings for one another take shape. Turn their commitment to one another into a symbol, ever lasting and without end. Bind their souls through love now and for eternity. So I said, so mote it be_," he recited it, verbatim. "From what little I understand of magic, her wording and the reaction we had afterwards, what she did was effectively to bind both your souls. Soul bonding, according to some cultures, makes the whole to be…"

"More than a sum of their parts. And those same cultures treat a bonding more seriously than a marriage. Does that mean that I…married Di?" he asked, turning pasty white.

"According to whoever did the bonding possible in the first place, yes, you did. Congratulations."

Xander fainted.

* * *

A few moments later he was being awakened by an ammonia ampoule under his nose. Bruce was looking at him with hints of a smile on his face, while Dick was openly grinning.

"You know, it's not very manly to faint," the visitor ribbed.

"Yeah? Well, it's not every day that you learn that your best friend screwed up once again with the magic, and ended up marrying me and my girlfriend," Xander said, while standing up.

"Why, is she hideous or something?" Dick asked.

"Bruce, do you think I could speak with her?" Xander asked the Bat, ignoring Dick for the moment.

"Computer, secure comm. Wonder Woman."

Everything clicked to Dick. He whistled, very, very loudly. After all, he was speaking with Wonder Woman's _husband._

"_What is it, Batman? And who whistled? _"

"It's not Batman, hon, it's me. Can you speak?" Xander started, speaking to the air.

"_I was about to leave on patrol. Something wrong? Did you hear something else from Buffy?_"

'Buffy?' Dick mouthed to Bruce, and a hand sign answered him, later.

"No, nothing's exactly wrong, but we need to talk. Can you come over to the manor?"

"_Sure. Give me an hour, I'll be there. Wonder Woman out."_

The line went dead, and Xander sighed. "Okay, Bruce, I'm now an effectively married guy to the world's most powerful woman. What does this change for me?"

"The magical aspects can probably be better explained by your Mr. Giles. I noticed in this brief sparring that you're faster and stronger than you previously were, and it seems like your body learned a lot of unarmed combat techniques. However, the body learned, but your mind still didn't, so you're a master who cheated to get its mastery. That means we'll have to keep on training you, until both are aligned, mind _and_ body. Come here, I want to make a test," the detective said, and they walked to another corner of the cave, this one the chemistry lab. Bruce caught a blood sample kit and extracted some blood from Xander's arm. He then took the sample and did several things with it, the meanings lost to Xander. Dick helped Bruce, and in-between, they talked about their respective lives. From what Xander could gather, they hadn't part in best terms, but it was clear enough one missed the other, like a parent misses a stranded son. Forty minutes later, Dick looked to a printout and showed it to Bruce.

"This is right, right?" he asked, while Xander fidgeted in place.

"Yes, the machine is calibrated, and I tested it twice. I knew this was bound to happen," Bruce replied.

"What, what is wrong with me?" the one-eyed man asked, growing even more nervous.

"Depends on what you consider wrong, Xander," Dick answered for Bruce.

"We need some further tests to confirm it," Bruce continued, "but so far what they tell us is that you're no longer aging, or if you are, it's not detectable by our current means. Diana's immortality has been passed on to you, Xander."

The lone eye grew. "Does that mean she won't have to see me die? That we can be together forever?"

"We need further testing, but from what little we learned so far, yes, I believe so."

Instead of jumping up and down with joy, Xander grew pensive.

"What?" Dick asked a few moments later. "I thought that being married forever to the world's hottest woman was something to be celebrated, not to be all broody about."

"Dick, I know the consequences of immortality. It might seem like a blessing at first, but can you grasp the real consequences behind it?" Xander asked. "While I'll be married to her, yes, I'll also see all of my friends die of old age, and their sons, and their sons sons, and so on. It's not something to wait for with a smile on my face."

Speaking about loss with people whose entire life was defined after they lost loved ones was no laughing matter, but one of them rose to the occasion, and curiously, the one they least expected.

"Immortality might not be a blessing, Xander," Bruce started, "but it gives you and Diana a chance of true happiness you didn't have before. Accept it for the gift I suppose it was, and enjoy your friends while you can, especially since not a single one of them have any great expectations about living to have gray hairs."

That made the apparently newly minted immortal to grow even more pensive for a few moments. "I have to talk with Diana, I'll come back tomorrow so we can finish our training. That is, if you don't mind."

Bruce scowled. "You would be no good for me today. Go on, hit the showers. Tomorrow, be ready for an entirely new routine."

"Yes, sir," he said, respectfully.

Once he had departed to take a quick shower, Dick turned to the man. "You've grown into a big softie, Bruce."

The Dark Knight put the cowl back on, and turned to his stranded sidekick. "Want to test that theory?" he growled.

"No, thanks. But I think we could patrol a little bit, for old times' sake," he grinned unrepentantly.

"I'm leaving in four minutes. Suit up."

"Yes, sir," he parroted Xander, but his voice was laden with humor.

* * *

Xander met Diana at the Mansion's enormous backyard, the place was perfect to land the jet and not be seen. Add the fact that the jet was truly invisible to the naked eye, and 'not be seen' became moot. He was dressed with clean clothes, she was in her uniform.

"Hey, anything going on tonight?" he asked when she approached. They kissed for a few moments and then separated.

"Just the usual. I asked Flash to cover for me for some time. You seem worried, Xander. Anything wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong. Actually, I'm just…stunned. Yeah, stunned is the word."

"Batman did something to you?" she asked, keeping her highly volatile temper in check.

"Not in the way that you're thinking, no. He just helped me see something I should have realized a while back."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Want to get in? Alfred threatened me with bodily harm if I didn't offer you a cup of tea," he said, trying hard not to sound as if he was stalling.

"Sure, why not? Let's go."

They walked in and the British butler served them tea. Xander had grown fond of the drink, to Giles' great delight, while he stayed in England after his African sabbatical. Thankfully, the old man knew how to do it properly, and not the watered-down piss the rest of America passed as a beverage. After they drank a bit of it, Diana eyed her fiancée deep in his eye.

"Now, are you going to tell me what is wrong?" she asked.

"Do me a favor?" he asked in return.

"Sure."

"Close your eyes."

She obeyed.

"Now, what do you feel?" he asked.

"Xander, is this some kind of…"

"Amuse me, please?" he replied.

She sighed, but did as asked.

"Well, I feel…fine. Relaxed…Slightly anxious to go on patrol…Happy to be here with you…Worried about being here, in Bruce's home…It's hard to explain…And I feel….I feel….something else…It's…nice…It's calling to me…"

Xander felt it too. It was like a rubber band that had been stretched to the limit and suddenly was let go, but in this case, the stretching was being caused by two souls, which didn't resist the strength of their calling to one another, nor wanted to. What had been started by Willow was finally accepted and forged, in a magic more powerful than anything both of them had felt before.

"Oh…"

"My…"

"Goddess…"

#Finally,# a third voice said, one that neither was expecting. Xander and Diana turned to where it had come from, to see three people that weren't there before. Well, two people and …something with two faces that looked mostly human, if a human had two faces.

"W-who are you?" Xander asked, moving to stand slightly between Diana and the newcomers, muscles taut. He relaxed when he felt a hand land on his shoulder, Diana's.

She came forth and landed on one knee. #My Lord and Ladies,# she said respectfully.

#Stand up, daughter,# one of the women said. #Hail and Well Met, Defender of Man. Hail and Well Met, Champion of Women,# she continued, nodding to them both.

#Hail and Well Met, Lady Aphrodite. Hail and Well Met, Lady Artemis. Hail and Well Met, Lord Janus. To what matter do we owe thy presence?# Diana asked, formally. Xander was surprised to meet three gods of the Greek pantheon, all at once. He knew that he would probably meet a few of them, being…married to Diana, but this was a bit too sudden.

#I believe your soul mate was about to explain it, so we came to dispel any lingering fears you two might have,# Aphrodite said. Somehow, she wasn't quite like Xander had envisioned her, an image of a voluptuous blonde in a pink negligee came unbidden to his mind. Where in the heck did he imagine it? And was it a wink he noticed the goddess giving him? Anyway, he looked to the trio, Janus especially.

#Explain? Explain what?# Diana asked, curious, but she felt a slight feeling of dread, but it wasn't from her, it came from….

#Basically, Di, I believe that Willow more or less screwed up again,# Xander said, fearing for his - what to call her now? – reaction.

#What do you mean?# the superhero asked, curious.

#Willow didn't just created the rings, Di. What she also did was that…she bonded our souls,# he said.

#That is not entirely correct, Defender of Men. What she did, and rightly so, was to only provide a way for it to be possible. The forging of such a bond isn't possible if not by those who are bound to be bonded in the first place. After all, you can't force True Love, it has to come from within,# Aphrodite said with a smile.

#I've heard of such bonds, and what I can feel speaks of its truthfulness. So, if this is what she did, why are you so worried about, love?# Diana asked to the one-eyed man.

#Well, she actually…married us already,# he answered, and her eyes grew in surprise.

#A bond goes deeper than a marriage, Defender. It's when two souls become one, and where one is greater than the two they were previously. It's a rare thing between humans, and with both your origins, it's an unique situation,# Aphrodite explained.

Diana was so stunned she was speechless. Xander felt her confusion through their recently formed bond, and tried to send down some comforting feelings and all the love he could feel for her. She stood up straighter that exact moment, her eyes alight with surprise. She gave one of her knockout smiles, and he felt himself enveloped in a warm cocoon of love and well-being, like he had never felt before.

#I believe you both already found the advantages of such a bond,# the other woman, Artemis, spoke.

#About this bond, could it form if Di didn't want it?#

Aphrodite shook her head negatively. #A small speck of doubt is enough for the bond to be negated. Be at ease, Defender of Men, it is as it is supposed to be.#

#Why do you call me that, Lady Aphrodite?#

#It's who you are, Alexander. It's a mantle you chose to bear a long time ago, and it fits you. Besides, Janus here would be pretty annoyed if I did call you anything else.#

Xander turned to the two-faced god. #Why is that, Lord Janus?#

#By the dealings of a servant, another Champion was chosen, one not bound by Fate but his own choosing. That Champion defied prophecy, fought odds and came out the winner, even if sometimes it does not seems so. Chaos is happy, because it helped maintain Order, once again. The Powers forgot that you can't have Light without Dark, and you can't have Order without Chaos. You are my Champion, Alexander, and as such, you deserve respect,# the two-faced god said, two voices sounding as one.

Xander sat in one of the big sofas, Diana sitting at his side a moment later.

"Why do I think that somehow I was railroaded into all this?" he asked, reverting to English.

Artemis sat on his other side, and turned to him. "I believe we must explain ourselves. The sequence of events that made you meet Diana here weren't entirely by chance. Diana, as you're aware, was …made…by all of us, so we all have a deeper interest in her life than most other mortals. She's like a daughter to us. And after the events in her life, our daughter was feeling very alone, Alexander. We searched the Earth for someone to be her friend, one that would deal with the person, not the demigoddess, and what wasn't our surprise when we found a match in you, Janus' Champion? So, we played the odds a little bit, but that's all that we did, cause the events that led to your meeting. The rest of it, it was all on your shoulders. We never imagined that the friendship would turn into True Love. Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches," she quoted, wisely.

Xander sighed. "So, it was all planned?" he asked, heart constricting painfully. Diana felt his dread and held his hand supportively.

"Not at all, Alexander. True Love is one of the very few forces of the Universe no Gods have power over, but the Almighty. It's one of the tenants that spawned from free will. We can't make you really Love anyone you don't want to," Aphrodite said.

"I've seen love spells, Lady Aphrodite…" he started, and the next moment he was involved in an all-encompassing feeling of love, however it was dim compared to what he had felt from Diana. The feeling grew and grew, while Aphrodite approached him. Diana moved to stand, ire reflected in her face, but Artemis held her in place, shaking her head silently. He stood up, entranced, but as soon as he did, the feeling vanished.

"Tell me, Alexander, do you love me?" the Goddess of Love asked.

"What was that? What did you do to me?" he asked, in shock.

"Answer me. Do you love me?" she asked, forcefully.

"No, of course not, I love Di…" he said, and silenced, surprised with his own outburst.

"See? You've been hit by the most powerful 'love spell' in existence, coming from the very own Goddess of Love. And yet, once the effect ended, you still didn't love me. True Love cannot be bested by parlor tricks, not even by the best parlor tricks in the Universe."

He sat back down. "This is all so confusing…"

"We could have let you find everything for yourselves, but there would always remain a lingering doubt if the bond wasn't a mistake made by your friend, and if you wouldn't be better without it. It wasn't a mistake, she didn't do a thing wrong to the both of you, and we blessed your union with happiness in our hearts. So, be at ease, Alexander, and go enjoy your wife."

Diana turned to him. "I have no doubts, love. It is what I want, what I've wanted for a long time. Too bad it will last for so very little," she said, saddened.

Aphrodite chuckled, while the two other gods smirked. "I believe young Alexander has some other news for you, daughter. I believe this is our cue to leave. Be at Peace, Defender of Men. Be at Peace, Champion of Women. May the Fates smile upon you always," she said, and the three gods disappeared without fanfare.

"What did she mean by that?" Diana asked.

"It's one of the reasons why I called you. You see, Bruce did some tests and…"

* * *

Alfred had left the young couple alone so they could discuss their problems privately, and from the look on Mr. Harris face when he left, it was indeed something quite serious. Some time later, the silence of the house was broken by a joyous scream of happiness, coming from Wonder Woman. The butler started walking back to the sitting room where he had left them, when he saw something that would forever be imprinted in his mind, Mr. Harris being carried away in the arms of Lady Diana, who was moving at near super-speed to get out of the manor.

They disappeared through the back door, laughing all the way.

Ah, young love.


	19. Chapter 19

**Fates of Love**

**Author:** BigHead / Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

**Summary:** Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

**Rating: ** Teen, for now.

**Author's Notes:**. Thanks go to GreyWizard, this time. And many thanks for all the reviews.

**Feedback**: YESSSS!!!! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!!

* * *

Xander was awakened from a very interesting and, in some parts, very _wet_ dream by the incessant beep of his alarm clock. In it, he had just bonded his soul, thus marrying Wonder Woman, and afterwards they had celebrated till almost dawn, when she had to leave to patrol the rest of the world.

The Sunnydaler slapped the snooze button like he always did, but when the alarm clock exploded in a hundred pieces and the legs of the nightstand crumbled under the strength of the slap, he was reminded very sharply that it had _not_ been a dream. His feeling of awkwardness exploded through the recently formed bond, and it was reciprocated a moment later by an almost alien feeling of curiosity. He smirked internally and attempted a small test of their new connection: he tried to send Diana a memory of what had just happened, the broken clock and nightstand. Amusement shot back a moment later, followed by a deep sense of worry, but he then returned acceptance and calm, and the bond abated to a gentle flow of vibrations.

They had tested it last night, and while they couldn't speak mentally, their feelings were easily felt by one another, and mental images could be shared, but with a bit more difficulty. Xander knew his strength had improved; after all, he had lifted Diana last night a few times quite easily, but he just didn't know by how much. Diana had also mentioned that she could sense things better than she previously could, so it meant that the bond had united more than just their souls. He would probably need to ask Giles or Dawn to research soul bonding and its effects, but that would come at a later time, since he needed to go to work now. Bruce might have given him some leeway in his hours, but he liked to keep to schedule, if he could.

He opened the door to his bathroom, and when the knob broke and came loose in his hand, Xander decided he needed to be a lot more careful, or he wouldn't have an apartment standing by the end of his breakfast. The toilet seat remained whole, thankfully, but the handle was slightly bent when he finished. He treated the shower's glass door like it was made of paper thin crystal, and did the same to the heads, thus managing to take a shower without adding to the repair bill. However, he needed to buy a new shampoo bottle or three this afternoon after work; the explosion wasn't all that funny. The first three soap missiles weren't, as well.

Well, maybe the last one was.

A bit.

Taking a very deep breath and reminding himself of the exercises he used to teach Slayers about controlling their own strength, he finally managed to take his shower in relative peace.

He finished his morning chores with the tally adding to a new toothbrush, a new shaving cream tube and another shower. Xander felt like he was the new star of a running gag. He dressed _extremely_ carefully, and left the apartment an hour later than he usually did.

Thinking about what he would have to face to go to Wayne Construction, he decided to forego his car and a cab, taking the subway instead. It was a safer trip, indeed, and his newfound strength helped him survive the mob entering and leaving the train relatively intact. He arrived on the building and got to his office, where he ordered some coffee and a couple croissants from the cafeteria down the block.

While he waited, he booted his computer and logged on, treating every keystroke as the detonation sequence of an atomic bomb. A second later, a pop-up showed on his screen. On it, an address and a small note from his boss.

_Meet me at 8 PM at this address. Bruce._

Xander hit the reply button.

_Having some trouble today. Seems like the vitamins you indicated worked better than the prescription. Care to help?_

He waited for a few moments, and another pop-up blinked on his screen.

_After the meeting tonight, I can. Going to be off-site the entire day. If you need some time off, leave word with my assistant._

The ex-Watcher took a deep breath, and hit reply once again.

_No need, am handling it somewhat. Have fun, boss._

He didn't get a reply this time, so he did what he had been doing for a while now, and opened one of Wayne Construction's old projects.

Since last week he'd had a gut feeling that something was wrong with quite a few of the projects, but he had no real idea as to what, exactly. All the numbers matched, from calculations to invoices, payments and taxes paid, but something was wrong. The Bat was teaching him to focus more on his gut feelings and to sharpen them to the point they stopped being gut feelings and ended up being accurate conclusions drawn from whatever sliver of information his…whatever it was…grabbed.

He opened one set of blueprints on his 24 inch LCD monitor and started studying them, with the spreadsheet derived from them on the background. Once again, everything matched perfectly.

His musing was stopped when his telephone rang.

"Xander, a Mr. Giles for you on the phone," the floor's secretary said.

"Thank you, Rissa," he said, eyeing his watch, wondering exactly why Giles might be calling. Nowhere close to nighttime in England. Not that time in the month for Slayers. Not that time of the year reserved for Apocalyps…es? Apocalii? Damn, now that he had a Greek demigoddess as a wife and a few Gods as acquaintances, he'd have to ask the correct plural for apocalypse.

"Hey, G-Man, what's up?" he said with a smile as he very carefully punched the speaker button, and he heard the mumble about 'infernal nicknames' and a few choice words that came with it.

"_Xander, what can you tell me about the rather large deposit of funds in the Council accounts, from an 'anonymous source'?_" the head of the Council asked.

"How large, Giles?" he asked, curious.

"_Two hundred million dollars_," the British man said, evenly, and his jaw fell.

His IM program beeped the exact next second.

_Tell Mr. Giles 'you're welcome'. Bruce._

Well, third richest man in the world, indeed.

* * *

A nondescript car, at least externally, roamed through one of Metropolis' worst areas, a place which made Suicide Slum seem like a cozy and heartwarming place. Its destination, a warehouse that, for all intents and purposes, was abandoned since the late 40's.

Inside the vehicle were a man and a woman, dressed in casual clothes, and she was driving. If any cop stopped the vehicle and checked them out, he would have the shock of his life, not to mention being out of a job the exact minute the man made a phone call.

And an early grave, two hours later.

They parked the car behind said warehouse, the woman expertly checking their surroundings.

"I can't see anything really dangerous, Mr. Luthor, but that doesn't mean a thing," she evaluated their surroundings, hands close to the weapon resting at her hip.

"I haven't arrived at my position by not taking risks, Mercy. Let's go," the Metropolis magnate said, and opened the car, going to the warehouse's back door. This entire ruse and their disguises as ordinary people had started a few days ago, when Luthor received a package with a DVD containing some rather interesting images, and a telephone number. After some backtracking that went exactly nowhere, he called the number and a rough voice told him to come to this address, and it would be in his best interest if he wasn't recognized.

They entered the warehouse, and there were a few lights lit up at the west side, showing a man sitting on a simple desk, an empty chair and nothing else. Luthor walked to the man, but he didn't sit.

"You have exactly one minute to tell me why I won't kill you," he said without preamble.

"Calm down, Mr. Luthor. I came with a business proposal for you," the man replied.

"Then who is the person hiding in the dark to our right?" Luthor asked, without changing expressions.

"You have your bodyguard, Mr. Luthor, I have mine," he said. "But if it would make you feel more comfortable, I can call her here. Matter of fact, it might help to prove my claims. Blue, if you please."

The shape detached from the darkened background and approached. "If you ever call me that again, scum, I'll skin you alive and eat your entrails raw, and do worse with the rest of your spawn."

Luthor finally looked to the female, and thought that the nickname was quite appropriate. The woman had blue skin and was dressed in what looked like a red leather vest. She was either a metahuman of some sort, or an alien. Either way, he wasn't impressed; he had seen his fair average of both.

"We're down to thirty-seven seconds," Luthor replied, matter-of-factly.

"Well, Mr. Luthor, my proposal is very straightforward. You provide us with weapons, high-tech weapons that can't be traced back to you, and we'll pay you back."

"You can buy them through one of my subsidiaries."

"Yes, we could. However, we don't want to alert our enemies, and besides, our…coin…can't be used by other people, except our benefactor," the man said, smirking.

"What 'coin' is that?" Luthor asked, sounding slightly interested.

"Why, Mr. Luthor. Power, of course," the man said, and opened his hand, a bright green ball of flame floating above it.

Luthor smiled.

"Tell me more."

* * *

Back in Gotham City, that same night, Xander arrived at the designated address. It was located on a very expensive part of town, where the simple apartments ranged on the seven digit mark with ease. The building where the taxi had just parked easily came to the high seven, low eight digits. Bruce was already there, and so were Diana and Alfred. She was dressed in what the girls called 'casual chic', Bruce in a suit worth a few grand, and Alfred in his 'chauffeur' suit. He paid the fare plus tip to a goggle-eyed driver, and walked out.

"You know, I could have given that guy a dollar for the fare and tip and he would have thanked me," he said to his wife and friends once the taxi drove off. He kissed Diana and shook Bruce's hand with great care. "Bruce, good to see you. You too, Alfred."

"Likewise, Xander," the billionaire said with a smile.

"So, what are we doing here? You want our opinion on something?" Xander asked, holding on to Di's hand.

"You could say that," Bruce said with a barely hidden smile. "Come on."

They walked on in, Alfred opening the doors to them as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Heck, to the English butler, it probably was.

"Security is somewhat lax since the building is fairly empty, except for the janitor and two security guards," Bruce pointed out, while they entered the elevator. Alfred took a small key from his keychain and put it into a lock, and turned it. Only then did the elevator start moving. "There is a private elevator to where we're going, but I'd have to code you people in. This way is easier."

Xander nodded, while Diana remained silent, but observant. The car reached the last floor shown on the panel, and climbed a bit more, until it finally stopped and the doors opened. The group disembarked into a hallway, where another huge door – Bruce had to have a thing for doors – awaited for them.

They walked on, and the door opened on its own volition. Probably some sort of security measure that Bruce had installed, Xander decided.

Behind it, a damned huge apartment waited for them.

Xander whistled. "Nice place. Yours?" he asked the playboy.

"Not anymore," he said, grabbing the set of keys from Alfred's hand and placing them into Xander's hand.

"Oh."


	20. Chapter 20

Fates of Love

Author: BigHead /

Disclaimer: Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

Summary: Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

Rating: Teen, for now.

Author's Notes: Thanks go to Greywizard and cmduhura, this time. And many thanks for all the reviews.

Feedback: YESSSS!! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!!

* * *

Xander looked to the keys, then to Bruce, back to the keys, while his mind revved. A few moments later, it hadn't stopped yet, but it had lowered its speed enough so he could at least ask what was right on the tip of his tongue.

"Are you out of your _mind_?" he asked his boss.

"According to quite a few people, I most certainly am," Bruce said, and the smile didn't look fake, or like an act. The one eyed man shook his head. Diana, at his side, was completely mute, and frozen on the spot.

"Bruce, you know that when normal people want to give a couple a wedding gift...this _is_ a wedding gift, right?" he asked, to which the billionaire nodded. "When normal people want to give a couple a wedding gift, they usually go with something more or less simple, like, I dunno, some plates, some knick-knacks for decoration... if they want to be spend-y, they can give away one of those expensive big refrigerators for the kitchen, _not_ an entire penthouse apartment in one of Gotham's most exclusive neighborhoods. I mean... this probably costs more than I will ever earn in my _entire_ life... and yes, I know I am probably immortal."

Bruce shook his head. "Then I must be quite insane, because I am giving you this penthouse as a gift, and I'm letting the Council use the rest of the building as their local headquarters."

That brought up Xander short. "Why? You're not...I mean, I was..." he stopped for a moment to take a deep breath. "Bruce, I know we've talked about it, you said it, but I thought it would be a small group of just three girls and I know how much you dislike other ...people of the superhuman variety interfering in your town. I had this entire speech planned so I could ask nicely for an entire team, and you come now and basically say you _accept_?" he babbled. A team of Slayers basically consisted of one Senior Slayer, four Junior Slayers, a Senior Watcher, a Junior Watcher, a Witch, a Medic, and an Armorer, plus all the paraphernalia that came with them, which meant a full HQ, something that the building they were currently in would be perfect for.

The entire demeanor of the well-known billionaire playboy changed, in his place now stood the very terror of Gotham's underworld, only not wearing his suit. "I don't like other heroes around because they _think_ they know what is best for Gotham. They _don't_. I am training you to _understand_ and how to _fight_ a war where you _are_ its weakest link."

"Not anymore, Bruce," Diana spoke for the very first time.

"Yes, he still _is_. He cares too much about a lot of people, and thinks too little when in battle. He still needs to learn how to lead with his brain, not with his heart," the Dark Knight said, eying the couple.

Xander was a bit surprised with the insight, but he had to concede the point. "You're right, and that's why I am still learning with you. But...why didn't you...I dunno, put up a fight with me about the Slayers?"

"You have an idea on how I operate, in how I deal with Gotham. Will you let the Slayers interfere with it?"

"Of course not, unless you asked for..." Xander replied, and the light went on. "You bastard, you already _knew._"

Bruce's only reply was the lifting of an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure I follow," Diana asked.

"Your friend here, Diana, is far, far smarter than anyone else gives him credit for. He had this entire thing planned off. Since when, Bruce?"

"Metropolis."

"Son of a..." Xander cursed, and another light blinked. He turned to his mentor, and his remaining eye narrowed. "This is not everything, is it? I wanted a team because it's a strategic location, not because of supernatural activity. What else you have planned, Bruce?"

Bruce smirked, and Xander's stomach dropped to his shoes.

* * *

Bruce left a few hours later, after explaining some of his plans (but, in true Batman fashion, not all of them) to the couple, and showing them the enormous apartment. It had been the place where Bruce had made a temporary HQ while the manor suffered one of its various modifications, so it had a satellite Batcave a few feet below the building's official foundations. It was accessible by a specially designed entrance in the apartment's library, and Bruce keyed Xander and Diana's access.

Now alone, Xander and Diana sat at the living room's couch, the bond swimming in the confusion both were feeling. Diana was the first to break the silence.

"I'm never going to tell him this up front, but he really scares and humbles me sometimes."

"Me too, and I know some very scary people," her husband replied. They looked at each other, their silence with a clear meaning, 'now what?'

* * *

The moving in was pretty quick, taking less than a couple of hours since Xander didn't have much in the realm of personal effects or clothes, and Diana kept most of her stuff in the Watchtower, with the exception of some things she left at Xander's apartment. They quickly unpacked and organized their stuff, and then they decided to move to the kitchen to decide their next steps. They found out that the cabinets and the refrigerator - 'this should have been our gift' - had been stocked quite fully, but they only craved for a bit of tea to calm their stormy night.

"I hate feeling like I have been manipulated," Xander said, eying his own cup of tea. "I can even agree with Batman's plan, and in his place I would probably do the same, but..."

"You hate being manipulated?" Diana repeated, amused.

"Yeah," he answered, this time with a tiny smile on his face.

"Were we?" Di continued, sipping her own tea.

"Huh?"

"Manipulated. Were we? Really?"

Xander thought about it for a moment. "Hum, not really, no. I could have said no about coming to Gotham, even if he knew what buttons to push for me to accept. Besides, as Machiavellian plans go, I gotta give him the gold medal. I mean, what did I really suffer? Did I do anything against my will? Did you?"

At her negative, he continued. "So, what did we lose in the end? What did we gain?"

"Nothing, and an enormous apartment?" Diana queried with a smile.

"I _have_ corrupted you," he laughed. She followed a moment later, joining him. "So, care to test the huge bed on our new master bedroom?"

"Why not?"

* * *

The next day was thankfully a Saturday, so they could actually sleep in, or he could, and Diana would follow his lead, even if her need for sleep was very reduced. But unfortunately, the world did not stop spinning, and things didn't stop from happening. Xander's cell phone rang, waking him up a bit late in the morning, and the caller's ID told him it was Giles. Still wary of his new strength, he opened the flip with care.

"Hey, Giles, what's up?"

"_Xander, how acquainted you are with Superman?"_ the Englishman asked, surprising the young man.

"Strange question, Giles, but I know him. What's up?"

"_You know him enough to ask an opinion?"_

"Maybe, but you're starting to wig me out. What's going on?" he asked, and Diana looked at him curiously.

"_Remember Project Blue Leaf? I think it finally paid off,"_ he replied, and started talking.

* * *

Xander appearing at the manor wasn't that unusual, but the face he was sporting was. Alfred welcomed him in and asked him to wait, while he went to fetch the Manor's owner. Bruce appeared a few minutes later.

"Xander, what can I do for you?"

"We have a problem, and I need your help."

* * *

Xander left the manor a few hours later with a sinister smile on his face.

"Giles," he said on his cell phone. "Have Faith and her girls ready. We have a plan."

* * *

Three days later, the demon who had contacted Lex Luthor was roused from his sleep by a strong slap on his cheek, followed by a very sharp sword resting against his neck.

"Ya know, when you make a deal with the devil, you must be ready to pay the price. Let this be a lesson, the last one you'll learn."

With those words, the sword moved.

* * *

Around the continental US, this action was repeated several times in the span of a couple of hours. The message was pretty clear.

* * *

Back in Metropolis, at the LexCorp building, Lex Luthor was waiting for a phone call, one that would mean another sixteen billion dollars added to his already rather large bank account. Another military contract, for the new Pulse Cannon tanks, a weapon so powerful that it could stop most things out there with a single shot. He even had plans to test it against the insufferable Superman, but first they would have to get into production and one needed to be 'stolen' for his own use.

His phone beeped. "Yes, Mercy?"

"_General Westron on the line for you, Mr. author."_

_"_Thank you. Yes, General?"

"_Luthor, I'm sorry to say, but the contract has been canceled. Orders from above. Once again, I'm sorry. Good day,"_ the general said, and disconnected.

The first feeling was surprise. The second feeling was rage, and on this he acted, throwing everything over his desk to the floor. Mercy appeared at the door a moment later.

"Get me that coward Westron back on the phone. _NOW!_"

Mercy vanished, while Luthor seethed.

* * *

It took some time to find the slippery general, and even more time to get him on the phone. By then, Luthor wanted to kill the man outright, and he even could do it.

"_Mr. Luthor, General Westron,"_ Mercy called on his immediately replaced telephone.

"Westron, what in God's name you mean, the contract has been canceled?" the magnate said, grinding his teeth.

"_Exactly what I meant, Luthor. It has been canceled. The orders came from above. There's nothing I can do about it._"

"What do you mean, nothing you can do?"

"_The President canceled it himself, Luthor! Have a nice day,_" the man replied, and disconnected once again.

"It's just a small warning, Mr. Luthor," a distinguished voice said. In the middle of his rather large room stood a man, in a place that was empty a moment before.

"Wha... Who are you? How did you get in? Mercy!" Luthor screamed for his secretary slash bodyguard, but no one appeared.

"Don't bother calling for help, Mr. Luthor, they can't hear you right now, and no one can enter this room for the time being. As for who I am, it's not important, what is important is your recent dealing with a certain individual who promised you something he couldn't actually deliver, in exchange for some of your more, let's say, exotic products."

"You were responsible for the contract being canceled?" the bald man asked.

"Yes, it was a small warning, to...prove a point, shall we say?"

Luthor thought it over for a moment. It was a smart move, to show him that, whoever this man was, he had the ear of the President. "Then, what should I expect from this warning? Something along the lines of 'back off or we kill you?' Other people have tried, and I'm still here, while they aren't."

"No, Mr. Luthor," the British man said calmly, without moving from his spot. "While I have no qualms about killing human beings that pose a threat to me or mine, my associates would frown on such an action. Besides, I have access to some more...creative ways to keep you in line."

"Like what? Threaten the ones I love?" he snorted.

"Pointless, I believe. No, I shall threaten what you hold most dear, your power. Tell me, Mr. Luthor, what would happen if the world forgot who you are?"

"What? That's..." the magnate said confusedly, standing up.

"Impossible? It's not, and I shall prove it to you in a moment. So, I believe now is the time I make my threat, and then I shall leave you to plan and plot your revenge. Do not meddle in things you have no knowledge of, and be aware that, if you do, a price shall be paid, and you will pay it to me. Leave the _status quo_ as it is; keep going with your pissing match with the Kryptonian if you wish, I won't interfere. But do _not_ try to face us. You _will_ lose. To prove my point, I just made the entire building forget who you are for the remainder of the day. Good day, Mr. Luthor."

Luthor blinked, and in the next moment, the British man had vanished.

"MERCY!!" he screamed.

The secretary entered the room in a flash. "Who the hell are you?"


	21. Chapter 21

Fates of Love

Author: BigHead /

Disclaimer: Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

Summary: Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

Rating: Teen, for now.

Author's Notes: Thanks go to Greywizard and cmduhura, this time. And many thanks for all the reviews.

Feedback: YESSSS!!!! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!!

* * *

One of the strangest - or coolest - things about living in a penthouse previously owned by one of the richest men alive, who was also one of the smartest, was that when the telephone rang, it wasn't something as simple as a ringtone echoing on the nightstand. No, an artificial intelligence interface had control over the entire communications array installed over the penthouse, and among other things, it controlled security between callers. So, it was this AI who received the incoming phone call, identified the number the call originated upon, disabled the governments' - both British and American - taps on the line for the moment and warned the penthouse's inhabitant about it.

"Priority call. Giles' Pad. Priority call. Giles' Pad," the automated voice droned over a couple other times before Xander was awake enough to answer the call.

He coughed once, for a moment regretting the lack of his wife sleeping by his side, but it was her duty shift at the Watchtower. "Accept call. Yes?" he replied in a sleepy voice.

"X-Xander," he heard the voice of his best friend since forever blubbering on the other side, and he knew for a fact that something quite wrong had happened. Willow only sounded like that when she had been crying for a while.

"What's wrong, Will?" he asked, all sleep gone in a flash.

"Th-there's been..." she took a breath. "There's been an accident, Xander. Car accident. I don't have all the details now, but we know... Robin's dead, Xander."

Xander froze. "What about Faith and Hope?"

"T-they're good. Alive. Faith is a bit worse from the impact, but Hope is alright, Faith covered her with her body... They're at Cleveland Memorial being checked out. I'm calling because until we know for sure what happened, the Pad's in lockdown. You're the closest, and Buffy can't get out of Themyscira."

"She knows?" he asked, while putting on his pants.

"Yeah... she felt something. Told me to keep D'Hoffryn in check while we handle this."

Xander nodded to himself, even if the wicca couldn't see him. The strange connection between the last two Chosen Ones was something not even the redhead could explain much. He threw a clean shirt on, and grabbed one of his coats, his travel bag already pre-packed with slaying gear, his wallet and cell phone.

"I'm ready, Will. Get me to them."

A couple seconds later, he had vanished from the apartment.

* * *

Xander reappeared in the ER waiting room at Cleveland Memorial, a few seconds before two of the Slayers already in the room started with fists flying.

"Hey. HEY!" he screamed, not caring about being inside a hospital. The two girls didn't seem to be considering it either, but they both stopped to the known voice of authority among them. "Calm the FUCK down! What's wrong with you people? Isn't two of ours hurt and one dead enough for the night?" Xander said, slamming the truth home, and making them stop altogether.

A second later, his cellphone rang. He pulled it, checking the ID. "Hey," he said, trying to cool himself down.

"What's wrong, Xander?" Di asked, sounding very concerned. He figured she would be going nuts with the feedback from their bond.

"Car accident, Di. Robin's dead, I know Faith and Hope are alive, but I just arrived at the hospital. I don't know anything else."

The tone of voice that replied wasn't from his wife, but from the worldwide famous superheroine. "I'll meet you as soon as I can. Where are you?"

"Cleveland Memorial. Follow the fistfight when you arrive. I'll be nearby."

"Wait for me. I'll be there. I love you."

"Love you too," he said, and the line disconnected. He then turned to the young girls and some adults that had gathered around him and asked, as evenly as he could. "Now, could someone PLEASE explain to me what the Hellmouth happened?"

* * *

Faith and Hope had both been taken to the ER for a thorough check, the medics attending them taking their time with their examination. A pediatrician was brought in for a more in-depth analysis on Hope, but he pronounced her fit and well, if scared, a short while later. He ordered the nurses to take her out of the room and to calm her down, if they could. Faith was being prepped for a series of x-rays when she woke up in a panic. Being the last real Chosen One, waking up in a panic meant that people flew in every direction and the bindings holding her in place were so much scrap hanging loosely from her arms and legs. Wide eyes looked at her surroundings, the Slayer in the forefront of the woman's mind was searching for venues of escape and potential weapons, until someone appeared right in front of her who was not one of the blue men. Her senses stopped to assess the man, and they screamed 'trust', 'safe' and 'family' coming from him. As soon as the Slayer found something familiar and reassuring, the spirit went again to its almost slumber, allowing the woman it had last Chosen as its avatar to come to the fore.

"X-Xander?" Faith said, recognizing him, and in the next moment, she passed out.

* * *

Faith woke up once again, but this time in a more relaxed setting, a couple hours later. Xander was dozing off slightly, sitting on a chair close to her bed, the only space between them being occupied by Hope's crib. The girl was sound asleep, and Faith could hear her respiration and heartbeat clearly, which brought both a smile and tears to her eyes. She moved silently, torn between grabbing her and waking her up or letting her sleep. A finger traced the sleeping cherubic face, though.

The door to the room opened, admitting Xander's wife, who came closer to them.

"She's fine, sister. She's perfectly fine," Diana said, which served to calm her further and wake the one-eyed man.

"Hey, Faith," he said, standing up.

"Hi," she replied, without taking her eyes from Hope. "Robin?" she asked.

"Sorry, Faith," he replied, heart clenching. "We got the one responsible, though."

"What was it?" she asked, figuring one demon paid a high price for all of this.

"Stupid drunk driver," Xander replied, and Faith's head snapped in his direction. "Just a dumb fuck drunk driver."

Faith's world collapsed once again. It all had happened so fast - Hope was only alive and well because she was the Slayer; Faith didn't even remember starting to move before she was passing out from pain, her body partially covering the baby's car seat. She backed away from the crib, sitting back on the bed, strong arms holding onto her a moment later.

She cried for a very long time, Xander holding onto her while she did so. Diana backed out a bit and left the room to give her some privacy.

* * *

"I deserve it, you know?" she said, after the tears had stopped. "I can't be happy, the Powers keep making me pay for the people I killed."

Xander looked her straight in the eyes. "That's not only bullshit, Faith, it's stupid and you know it," he said with conviction. "It was an accident. The stupid fuck was drunk and caused it."

Faith looked at him, the already greenish yellow bruises on her face traced with the remains of her makeup. "No... It was my fault..." she managed to choke out. "I wanted us to just, you know, be normal tonight... Like what you and Diana have... Just the three of us, out for dinner and a drive. It was my idea, to leave everybody else behind tonight, once we got back in to Hopkins, we'd ditch everybody else to just go out, the three of us, like normal people... I picked out the restaurant and made the reservations... And now Robin's dead. And it's my fault..."

"Sister," whispered Diana as she took Faith's bandaged hand, careful to avoid the IV line. "You are not responsible... Not for this..."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Faith," continued Xander. "As bad as it sounds, shit happens. You and Robin decided to go out for dinner, have an evening with your little girl, with nothing supernatural or Slayer related to interrupt. Some stupid jackass - he decided to go out and drink, then drive himself home. He hit you. You did NOTHING wrong. You didn't kill Robin; you did protect your daughter, and almost got killed in the process, but you DID save her. It was an accident, and it sucks, and nothing is going to change that. But it's not your fault." Xander shook his head sadly. "It's the tragically normal stuff that happens every day, all around the world. You and Hope are as much the victims of normalcy here as Robin was."

"As much as I hate to say it, the dweeb's right, you know," interrupted another voice from the door, causing Xander's throat to clench and his heart to go cold. Immediately, Diana felt the combination of shock, terror, and, to her surprise, love, come across their bond.

"Whoever, whatever, you are, you are not welcome here..." said Xander through clenched teeth, never moving, not turning to see who was standing in the doorway.

Diana and Faith, however, both turned to see who it was. One of them didn't recognize the brunette, while the other did, and whispered her name.

"Cordelia?" Faith wondered for a moment if this was some kind of pain killer induced delusion. "But..."

"She's dead," hissed Xander, still refusing to turn towards the doorway. "Cordelia Chase is dead. And I don't know who or what you are, or why you're here, but you're not welcome and if you're still there, and still got her face on when I turn around, well, I'm really hoping hospital security is busy somewhere else, cause I'm going to enjoy pounding you a new look."

"I AM dead, dorkface, but since when did that stopped any of us doing what's right? You can touch me if you want, you know? Besides, it's going to be a while, a few millennia at least, before the First regains enough power to try anything else again."

Xander finally turned to the voice, seeing the woman he first loved standing close to the door. He stood up, face and emotions going all over the spectrum. She offered a hand to him, and almost fearfully he raised his own, fearing and at the same time wishing she was the real deal. When his callused fingertips touched the soft skin of the brunette's hand, his face opened into a huge grin, almost reflecting Cordelia's own. The soft touch turned into an almost bone-breaking hug.

"Hey, hag," he said, tears falling from his eyes.

"Hi, Xander. We can continue this later, I need to talk to Faith here," she said. Xander nodded and stood aside.

"Faith, I mean what I said - the Powers had absolutely nothing to do with the accident, and I came here to let you know that. Since you came back to your True Path, they assumed a policy of 'watch only', and that's how it's been for a while. So, cry for him, but know that what happened to him was just what happens to everyone, eventually. You deserve your happiness, don't let anyone say anything different," Cordy said, picking up the hand not being held by Diana.

Faith didn't know what to do, but she knew in her heart that Cordelia was speaking the truth, as painful as the truth was, so she nodded and lowered her head, the tears growing with the sobs. Cordelia hugged the Slayer, offering whatever comfort she could. Diana stood up silently and walked towards Xander.

"So, that's Cordelia," she said in a low voice, eyeing her husband with the corner of her eyes.

"Yeah..." he said, still confused about her presence. The Amazon at his side felt the same, since their bond reflected what he was feeling to her. He turned to his wife. "Look, I... I need to talk with her... I lost my chance of saying goodbye to Anya, and... Cordelia... she was special for me too. I... I have to talk with her, but..." he said, his heart in his eyes, and his feelings towards her flooding their bond.

"I understand, Xander. Losing a loved one is never easy, and this is an opportunity I wouldn't miss as well, if the positions were reversed. Go, talk with her, I'll keep Faith company while you do," she said with a smile. While she felt troubled about Xander's feelings towards the other woman, she couldn't really judge him for them. Closure was something important on a relationship, and while theirs was a long time ago, the woman's death robbed them the chance of patching things up, and they had been far too young back then to have the maturity to do so.

He grabbed her on a strong hug and kissed her, trying to project all of his love for her. She smiled at him and caressed his cheek, showing that she did indeed understand what he was feeling. He nodded, and walked to Cordelia and Faith.

Diana went to Hope's crib and stood watch over a sleeping Amazon, saying a silent prayer to the gods to watch over Robin's soul.

* * *

After offering whatever comfort she could to Faith, something the Powers would probably frown upon - like she cared - Cordelia turned to Diana, bypassing Xander for a moment.

"I'm actually honored in meeting you, Princess, however I need to talk with your husband for a bit. There are some things we have to clear between us, and I hope you don't mind. I'm NOT going to steal him away from you, if such a thing was even possible, but I need to convince the dork of some facts. He's quite boneheaded about some things," she said with a small smile, pointing over her shoulder towards a gobsmacked man.

Diana nodded. "From what he told me about you, I'd be honored in meeting and knowing you, Cordelia Chase."

"With the lifespan you both have, I'll make sure to drop in from time to time. Gets kinda lonely and depressing being an agent of the Powers after a while," the brunette said to Diana. "Take good care of the dork for me, he deserves his happiness, same as Faith does. They both got a crappy life at the beginning, and now that things were getting on track this happens..." she continued, looking to Faith, who had fallen asleep while holding her daughter's tiny hand. Xander was surprised with Cordelia, but his memories and knowledge of his old love proved to him finally that the woman with them was the real deal, not some sort of trap coming of one of their enemies.

The Amazon looked to them both. "As if I could do anything different," she pointed out.

"Good. I'll kidnap your husband for a while, and I promise I'll deliver him whole, if only with his ears a bit singed," she smiled.

Diana reflected the smile back at her, and Cordelia was none too gentle in dragging Xander away from the room. Once out, she looked both ways, then before he could blink, they were standing on the hospital's rooftop.

Xander was surprised with the sudden change of environment, but not really all that much. Willow did something similar, if only with a bit more fanfare. "Nifty trick," he said.

"Thanks, it saves on shoe leather, not that anyone would care if I was using a Manolo Blahnik now anyway," Cordy replied, earning a snort from Xander.

"Not even the afterlife would change you much, would it?" he replied, coming closer and giving her a one armed hug. "It's so damned good seeing you, Cor."

"The same, dweeb, the same. Anyway, I've spent too much time here already, I need to go back, - crappy PTB rules - but I need to say a couple important things, the first being a huge thank you in showing me the way towards being a better me. I have no regrets about any...actually, I do have one, and it's about letting you down back then. I forgave you, but I was a coward, I could have called and apologized, but I was afraid of what your reaction would be, what mine would be. So, what I really wanted to say is, I'm sorry, Xander. You are a wonderful man, and I should have seen the fluke for what it was, not what it seemed like," she said, grabbing him fully on one bone-crunching hug, almost feeling some of the weight on his soul lifting.

"I'm sorry too, I should have called you as well, but I dunno how I would have been received. We were a couple of boneheads, weren't we?"

She smiled. "You still are, dork, and that is the other thing I wanted to talk to you about, and this is slightly more business related. I can't be my usual self and say what I really want about it, because of your free will and my status as an agent of the Powers, but I'll be as blunt as possible. You chose a path some time ago that is about to head out to its conclusion, and you'll have a choice to make. When you're confronted with this choice, do what Bruce is trying to pound into your thick skull and think with your brain and THEN engage your heart to make a decision, okay?"

"That's...kinda vague, actually," Xander replied.

"It's the best I can do within the limits I have. I can't help you more, and if I do, I'm not going to be able to help you further down the line, but I think you'll do fine, IF you use your brain."

"I'm doomed," he said with mock seriousness.

"I agree," she smiled, seeing the humor in the reply lacking the self-recrimination it would have in the past. "I have to go, but as I said to your wife, I'll drop in from time to time."

Xander nodded, but before Cordelia could vanish, he stopped her. "Hum...Cordy? About Robin?"

"Yes?"

"Is he at a nice place?" the one-eyed man asked.

"You could say that. If he's going to stay there is his choice," she said, finally vanishing.

Xander shook his head. Strange reply, but he knew far too little about the afterlife to really understand it.

* * *

The funeral was a simple matter. Robin didn't have any real family except for the Scoobies, and using a policy he set up himself, all Council members would be cremated upon confirmed death. Not a chance of someone using their bodies for some nefarious purposes - or maybe some resurrecting. The priest said a few words that no one paid real attention to, while Faith spread his ashes over his mother's grave. She cried, while Xander held Hope in his lap, the tot playing with Diana's long tresses, quite oblivious to what was happening around her.

"I love you, Robin, and I'll miss you," the Slayer murmured.

* * *

Whiteness. All around and all encompassing. Robin looked around, and if this was the afterlife mentioned in Buffy's file, it was pretty boring. He had been here a while, but how much this 'while' had been was a mystery to him. It seemed like a few hours, but it could be longer, he had absolutely no idea.

"I agree, it's really boring," a voice said, and he whirled to look at the owner, standing on a defensive stance. "Whoa, calm down, my friend, I wish you no harm," the man said, lifting his hands in the classical non-threatening gesture. He was a redhead with a streak of white going over the entire length of his scalp, and a friendly enough smile. He was also dressed in a blue striped suit that looked a bit old fashioned.

"Who are you? Where am I? Why am I here?" Robin asked.

"No asking 'what happened?'" the man asked, curiously.

"I already figured I'm either dead or in some kind of mystical limbo, or both. If I'm dead there's nothing I can do about it, if it is a mystical limbo, someone from the Council is probably already researching how to free me and kick the ass of the ones responsible," he said, by the way of a threat.

"No resurrection? They're quite capable of doing it, you know?" the stranger asked again, smiling slightly.

"Yes, and they, and I, know how well that ended up, and the mess caused because of it. No, thank you," the black man replied.

"Not even to see your daughter again? Or your wife?" the man prodded.

"I couldn't live with the consequences or the price I, and they, would pay to do so. So, I'll miss them, but I won't come back. And if they followed the procedures I created, I won't have a body to come back to anyway. Now, who are you, and why are you asking me all that?" Robin asked, growing restless all over again.

"Oh, sorry about that," the man said, sporting a smile that unnerved Robin a whole lot. "I keep forgetting about manners after all this time. When I was alive, my name was Jim Corrigan, Mr. Wood, and I'm here because I have a proposition for you. Tell me, would you like to go back to fighting the good fight?"


	22. Chapter 22

Fates of Love

Author: BigHead /

Disclaimer: Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

Summary: Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

Rating: Teen, for now.

Author's Notes: Many, many thanks go to Methos this time, because he was the one who kicked my muse back in action, and with it I finally found how to finish most of the plot points I created with this story. Home stretch, people, I think I have five or so chapters to finish this. Ah, and thanks for all the reviews, old and new. Ah, and thanks to cmdruhura and Greywizard, too.

Feedback: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

"I'm leaving, Xander," Faith said, while Hope played with her favorite toy, a certain Amazon Princess that melted into goo every time the tot giggled. Wrapped around her little finger, indeed.

"I know, Faith, but... I don't like it," the one eyed man said, saddened. "I think... we've failed you so much in the past, seeing you go seems like we're failing you again. We... I... is there anything I could do to make it... I dunno, better somewhat? So you could stay?"

Faith gave him a sad smile, her hand reaching for his shoulder. "You guys are not failing me, Xan, there's no blame between any of us, just that asshole that took my Robin from me. I just... I need time for myself, Xan. I need..." she tried, voice faltering. "God, I need him so much."

Her facade crumbled once again, and she started crying, Xander holding her against his chest. That was so...not Faith, this crying, frail woman, that it surprised him, and he finally understood what she wanted, what she needed.

"I get it," he said, pulling her into another hug. "You need time, time from all of this. I really get it; in the end, even I took some time off, and look where it took me," he said with a small smile.

Faith looked up to him. "Does it get any easier?" she asked, knowing that he'd lost almost as much as she did in the past.

"Honestly? A bit. You'll always miss him, but this pain...this pain will go and almost vanish. Sometimes it still hurts when I think of Anya, of Jesse, Joyce... it still hurts. But I know they're in a better place, and they're looking down on us and seeing what we're doing with our lives, so in the end, it gives me strength to move on and live my life to the fullest, so that when I finally meet them I know they'll be proud of me," he said, a tear falling from his eye. He tapped her over the heart with his fingers, "This has an amazing ability to heal. In time, things will look better, you'll see."

"Promise?" she asked with a small voice.

"Know," he replied with a smile, hugging her fiercely.

* * *

It took some time for things to go back to what Xander would call normal. The most trouble he got nowadays were the usual work-related stuff, preparing the party for Buffy's return and Willow coming to dinner one night to ask for his and Diana's blessing.

"To what?" Xander asked, after spluttering his water all over his dish. Diana was a bit surprised, but more amused than anything.

"To court Donna," the redhead repeated, growing as red as her hair. "You see, I chose to help her understand our world better, research what was needed to present a solid case to the UN regarding the Amazon Nation, find a proper home for the embassy, the works. We spend a lot of time together, and I started liking her, a lot. A whole, whole lot. She's funny, she's a bit shy but at the same time, she's so brave, and she's so beautiful and so smart, and I thinkImfallinginlovewithher..."

Diana put her hand over Willow's slightly shaking one. "Willow, I can understand, but why do you feel the need to ask for our permission? I think you should be asking my mother about it. Not that I have anything against it, if that's what you both want."

"Me either, Will. If Donna's anything like Di here, I think you couldn't ask for a better person to have a relationship with," Xander smiled. "But I agree, you should ask Hippolyta; she's the one who would need to give you the blessing you want."

Xander understood why Willow wanted to do it; Donna was far more traditional than Diana, so any chance of their relationship laid at Hippolyta's feet.

"I will, I will, but first I wanted to know if you guys gave me your blessing, so at least I'd have a chance and wouldn't be doing something way over my head."

He smiled. "Will, since when did you let anything that got into your head get away without giving it your two hundred percent? Do what we did, make a solid argument and defend it with all you have. I think you'll have far more luck than we did."

"You think so?" the redhead brightened.

"Yes," Diana replied instead. "You already know Mother, you're asking for her blessing first, you're female and she knows the effort you put to have our sovereignty recognized, so I believe all of that puts you into a very favored light. I'll even help you with the preparations. I think a good date for you to present your case would be at Buffy's welcome home party, I know she'll be here with a small entourage, and it's going to be a joyful occasion, so her frame of mind might help it."

Willow smiled. "You think?"

"I'm fairly positive, yes," Diana replied with another smile, just to see Willow blanch.

"But that's in two weeks! I have to find a dress, the perfect gift, think of what to say, what to wear, oh goddess, help with the party..."

Xander smiled, and Diana looked at him, as if asking 'is she always like this?', receiving a nod in reply. "Willow, Willow, calm down. Everything will fall into place, you'll see. Now, let's have our dinner and I'll help you start."

Her best friend in the entire world nodded reassuringly, so Willow took a deep breath to calm herself and looked Diana straight in the eyes. "Thank you."

Neither women noticed Xander suddenly turning serious, mind awhirl.

...Everything falling into place...

Could it be?

* * *

Xander's day at Wayne Construction started with him going to visit two sites that were waiting for his input in some matters, so he arrived at the office way late, almost at closing time. It fit his needs perfectly, he needed to check stuff without people peering over his shoulder, so he logged on in and opened his own stuff, waiting for a better time. It was nearly seven PM when the last guy from the floor at the time knocked at his partition.

"Staying late, Xander?" his co-worker asked.

"Yeah, still got some stuff to do for tomorrow," he replied, still engrossed over his computer's screen.

"Man, if I got a woman as hot as you do, I'd never get out of home, for any reason. And I wouldn't stay late at work, either," he replied with a smile. People had learned quite early that one of the things you did NOT do was to make crass jokes about Diana, at least not within his hearing range, which, they also learned, covered almost the entire floor. The usual ribbing was accepted, usually with a smile and some quips in return.

"Yeah, yeah, but I still gotta pay the bills, and saving the world doesn't mean much by the way of income. Get out of here, Mark, we'll see each other tomorrow."

"Will do. Look, me and the boys are going to get a beer or two at Antonio's. Drop on by later, if you can," Mark replied, already walking out.

"Sure. Cya," Xander said, and waited another fifteen minutes to see if anyone would get back. Deeming it safe, he closed all of his current files and opened one of the very first ones he worked on, back when he was starting on Wayne Construction.

It was almost midnight when he closed his computer, a frown marring his face. He took out his cellphone and speed dialed a number.

"Alfred, hi. Is he in?... Tell him to drop on by later, if he can. I have something I need to talk to him about, but it has to be out of work, and face to face. I'm going home... Yeah, it's important. To both sides."

* * *

Xander arrived to an empty penthouse, a note in Diana's handwriting telling him she had to leave on League's business, so he fixed some dinner and went to the living room, to watch some TV.

He woke up some time later, after dozing off for a while, as something had entered his senses' range and he knew it wasn't Diana.

"Come on in, I'm in here," he said out loud.

Seconds later a shadow in the shape of a large upstanding bat detached itself from the darkened background.

"What was so important that couldn't wait for tomorrow?" Batman asked with a growl.

"Hi, sorry to bother you, but I really, really needed to talk to you, and it's important," Xander said, standing up. "I'm going to make a coffee, I need to be awake to tell everything. Want one?"

Bruce removed the cowl. "You know how I like it."

"Cream, no sugar. One bat-coffee coming right up," Xander said, walking to the kitchen, the Dark Knight walking right after him.

"What is it?" Bruce asked, while Xander readied the coffee maker.

"Remember those hunches I had about Wayne Construction? I finally figured out what it is."

"You did?"

"Yes. And it isn't nice," he said, frown back in place. "I don't know how many people are involved, and who is just a dupe, so that's why I need both Bruce Wayne and Batman to take a look at things."

Bruce nodded. He had taken a look at WC before, but he didn't find anything wrong, so he'd left the 'investigation,' so to speak, in Xander's hands. After all, it could end up being nothing. "So, what is it?"

"People are stealing from you, Bruce. I haven't checked the entire thing, but at least I figured out how they are doing it."

"Explain it to me, then."

"Okay. Basically, the numbers fit," Xander said, passing Bruce's cup of coffee to him. The sentence got him a lifted eyebrow.

"I've been working construction for a time now, Bruce, and I know for a fact that the numbers aren't supposed to fit. You get over-budget, if you're good you get under-budget, but you maybe once, twice if you're lucky, are straight ON budget. I've checked some of the contracts you had and have, and in more than half of them, you're straight, right-on, not a cent less or more, ON budget. From pricing estimates to paid material, rents and taxes."

"Any good answers that would validate this to be true, and not a scam?"

"Yeah, if you got one hell of a seer on the payroll that's got the amazing ability to predict the exact amount that a construction is going to spend," Xander said, sipping his own coffee.

"Good managerial people?"

"Nope. It's a scam, Bruce, and I think I even figured how they're getting their money out of it, but I'd need an engineer I could trust to take a look at some estimates."

"How?" he asked, now really interested.

"I think every contract they altered has an estimate of ten to fifteen percent more basic material than is needed, even taking into account loss and refit. They order the extra material, but in the end, I think they get only what they need without the extra, they pay the suppliers the full monty and get the extra somehow."

"If that's how they're doing it, things are far worse than you think, because someone at City Hall is signing off on these contracts as valid under law," Bruce said, his scowl far worse than Xander's own.

"It's probable. But I'm not as good a detective as you are. Heck, no one is. So, I think you need to have a closer look at stuff from both angles. I don't have anything printed or otherwise because I think you can get it easily enough," Xander said, finishing his coffee.

"I'll take a look at it, be sure about it. And thank you," Bruce said, returning his cup.

"You're a friend, Bruce, I couldn't let this go. Besides, I fucking hate people working the system so they can screw up the other guy. Guy who killed Robin could have walked if it wasn't for you."

With a nod, Bruce put his cowl back on and walked out, back to his own home, Gotham's night.

* * *

Five days later, Xander was working on his PC when the OS suddenly locked him out, and from the cries of outrage echoing around the floor, everyone else, too. Seconds later, Bruce appeared at the floor entrance, following behind him were a team of WayneCorp's security and several suits with visitor tags.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please, I ask you to remain seated. A security officer will oversee you packing your personal belongings and you'll all be escorted out of the building. As of now, Wayne Construction is undergoing an audit, so everyone is going to take a small paid vacation of about a week so we can see it through. Thank you all for your cooperation," Bruce said over the noise.

Lots of complaining, some yelling, people all over Bruce demanding answers, and Xander could also see some sweating, their worried looks among themselves serving to prove that he wasn't wrong. Those same people were also being escorted to the stairs, and not to the elevators like the rest of them were.

Xander took the elevator with thee other people and a security officer, one of them turning to him.

"What do you think this is all about, Xander?" she asked.

"I don't have the slightest idea. But I think those things happen from time to time, don't they?" he replied, acting surprised.

"I guess so. It's Mr. Wayne's company, after all. Well, I got a paid week off out of it, so I won't complain much."

* * *

With his free week, Xander took Diana on a small three day trip so they could enjoy the married life. After that, he got dragged into helping with Buffy's party, something he was almost regretting until he luckily got recalled back to work, but with explicit instructions on showing up at Mr. Wayne's office before anything else. So, the next day he was back into the building, going up the elevators with a few co-workers, all of whom were asking every sort of question to everyone else. He opted to remain mute and shrug when asked a more direct question, and when they disembarked on their floor, they noticed he stayed in the elevator.

"You aren't coming, Xander?" one of them asked.

"Got orders to report to the big boss before anything else. So, I'll see ya if I see ya," he replied with a shrug. To them, it sounded as if he was expecting to be fired.

"Well, good luck," another one replied before the doors closed.

"Thanks," he said, and after it closed, he finally relaxed. Lousy damn secret agent stuff gave him the hives.

At the last floor, he took a look at the busy secretary, who simply waved him to go on. He entered Bruce's domain to find the billionaire and Lucius Fox waiting for him.

"You asked for me, Mr. Wayne?" he replied formally.

"Yes I did, Mr. Harris. I don't think you've met Lucius, did you?" he asked, pointing to the distinguished looking black man at his side.

"Only in passing down the halls. It's a pleasure, Mr. Fox," he said, extending his hand, which was taken with surprising strength.

"Likewise, Mr. Harris. But I think we don't need to stand on formality, it's Lucius," the man who made WayneCorp really work said with a smile.

"Then it's Xander," the one-eyed man replied.

"So it is. Bruce here was telling me all about what you've done for us and Wayne Construction in particular," he replied.

Xander got sheepish. "Just what anyone would do, Mr... Lucius."

"I think not, Xander. People sometimes just want to keep the _status quo_," Bruce replied instead. "Especially if their paychecks are at stake. Someone might have noticed something earlier on and decided to let things go, but it's something we'll never know."

"So, what's the status on the audit? I didn't hear a concrete thing from anyone," Xander said, and was offered a chair to seat, which he took.

"And you shouldn't. We managed to keep things quite under wraps until the audit was over, so everything will be revealed with the release we'll be forwarding to the press later today. Here, take a look," Bruce said, passing a printed sheet of paper to him.

He started reading, his mind picking the basics. Fifteen people fired, facing criminal charges of embezzlement, blackmailing, yadda-yadda, police involved, City Hall investigation, entire managerial staff being replaced...then his mind froze when he read the next line. He read it again, and again, and again.

"B-Br...ARE YOU NUTS?" he screamed, while Bruce smiled.

"I asked the same thing of Bruce, Xander, but he convinced me you were the best option for the position. Our stock will take a hit from this, but by having the man who found out what was going on in the first place, who had the guts to risk everything to show us how several crimes were being committed right under our noses, we'll need someone to take the reins of the situation and to show our shareholders that they can still deposit their trust with us.

"That man is you, Xander," Lucius said.

He turned to Bruce. "Are you shitting me? You want to turn me into Wayne Construction's goddamned CEO?"

"I already did. I signed it, Lucius signed it, and since I'm the major shareholder, my decision stands. All you need to do is sign it, too. Here," he said, giving Xander another folder.

He grabbed it, flipped through the paperwork in a daze, until he reached the part where his salary was mentioned. "Holy..."

And fainted.


	23. Chapter 23

Fates of Love

Author: BigHead /

Disclaimer: Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

Summary: Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

Rating: Teen, for now.

Author's Notes: Two chapters in less than a week. Am I good? Do I deserve extra reviews because of it? Thanks go to Greywizard and cmduhura, this time. And many thanks for all the reviews.

Feedback: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

Things changed a lot since the souled Angelus' battle with the Circle of Black Thorn warriors' in the streets of Los Angeles. From that battle only the Old One survived, and she was reported as being a wandering non-entity, without a real purpose in her immortal life. Wolfram and Hart still kept an eye on her, but they weren't expecting any trouble coming from her in the near future. As for the Council, they kept ruining some of their clients' operations but left themselves alone, but for the head of the Metropolis branch, it was just a matter of time before the Watchers and the Slayers took notice of them again, and with the Circle in shambles and the LA branch destroyed, they couldn't afford another battle right now. Besides, the massive emergence of new super-powered beings around the world put another crimp in the Senior Partners plans for the apocalypse. If they were careful before, they had to be extra-careful nowadays.

This line of thought was interrupted when one of his aides entered his office, looking panicked.

"We've got trouble," the man said, a folder in hands.

"Of what type?" Idris Mason asked, looking over his glasses.

"Our Seer Division sent this to us, they had a series of visions regarding the near future, and it all stems from a single event," the aide said. "Here, take a look," he passed the folder to him.

Mason read the transcript, his face going grim. "This requires action. Call the Circle's active representative and the other US branches, we've got to act quickly."

"Already done it, sir. I figured that's what you'd want," the aide said.

"Good, good." Mason said, hoping they'd have enough time, otherwise the entire world was doomed.

* * *

Xander should have killed Bruce, or at least tried to, because while some of the perks were great (the salary, don't forget the salary), the rest really, really sucked. First, soon after the press release had been issued, WayneCorp's press department had been literally flooded with requests for interviews, from the janitor up to Bruce, but the champion of requests had been Xander himself. Most of those had been discarded almost immediately, but even then, they got fifteen or so valid ones, which ended up on his desk, two of them with Bruce's 'do it' written request.

The first was with a reporter by the name of Vicky Vale, whom he actually liked as a reporter, since she worked for the Gotham Gazette and had done a brief interview of Diana when she first appeared to the world, after the alien invasion which created the Justice League.

-oOo-

"Thank you for receiving me, Mr. Harris," Vicky said with a smile. He offered her a seat and she promptly pulled a digital recorder and a notebook, turning the first on and flipping the other open.

"If I gotta suffer, it's better if it is in the hands of a beautiful woman," he said with his most disarming smile, the one which had gotten him in trouble more than once with teenage Slayers in the past. "Anything I can get you? Coffee, water, a shotgun?"

She laughed. "You, not your secretary?"

Xander got sheepish. "I'm still thinking all of this is a bit surreal, I keep forgetting I have a secretary... excuse me, a personal assistant, to do it now. But yeah, in the end it'd be me, it's right over there," he said, motioning to the small fridge sitting at a corner and the coffee carafe over it, "and I like to do most things myself. Unless if it's for the shotgun, if so, you're on your own."

She laughed again and nodded, the small talk served to break the tension. "I guess the first question most people want to know is, why you? After the crisis at Wayne Construction, I think that Bruce Wayne and the shareholders would hire a bigwig hotshot miracle solver for the CEO position, and not promote a virtual unknown to the position. So, why you?"

Xander laughed this time. "Humm, why I didn't think of that question? Honestly, I guess it's a series of things, but let me point out something first...Bruce Wayne is the third richest man on the planet, and while he likes to enjoy life a bit much, he's not dumb. No one can be that rich by being dumb, so that's thing one - if he believes in me, I must have done something right so he had a reason to put me here. Second, I'm fairly sure Bruce trusts me, and at this precise moment in time, what Wayne Construction needs is someone they can trust at the helm, even if he's just a cocky young kid. We know that the stock will probably take a fall, but if people have trust in us again, things will improve with time, and if I can do a good job and help out, I'm all for it."

Vicky nodded and turned some pages on her notebook. "I've tried to do some research on you, and while you do have a very interesting relationship with a well known superheroine, there isn't much there. Why's that? Got something to hide?"

Xander smiled, disarmingly. "Nah, nothing of the sort, most of it is due to chance more than anything. I'm from Sunnydale, yes, the ex-town of Sunnydale, the one which sunk and turned into Lake Sunnydale, so anything about me before the town sunk is now under a coupla million cubic tons of water and rock. Me and a few friends managed to escape just before it went down, and when the dust settled right behind us, all I had were the clothes on my body, my wallet and my backpack. A friend of mine from England, who escaped with us offered me a job abroad and I took it. I came back to the US three years ago, met Diana on blind luck, and the rest is history."

"What about the eye? I can leave it off the record, if you want; this is more to sate my own curiosity," the reporter asked.

"Nothing James Bond-ish about it. Accident at work, fell down onto something, don't even know what. Woke up back in the hospital with my head looking like a Mummy nested in my hair. My friends joked if I got a Persian cat and started petting it they'd move to another country," he smiled, which Vicky reciprocated.

"Back to the interview, then... You said Bruce Wayne promoted you to CEO due to several things, one of them being his trust in you to do a good job. Why's that?"

Xander looked up and took a deep breath. "When Bruce asked me to do this interview, one of two I'm going to do now out of I don't know how many dozens, I asked why, specifically, those two. He answered me that one was for an old friend of his, and the other is because he trusts you to do a proper job out of it, and yes, I know you both had a brief thing in the past. So, I know you know a bit about the real Bruce Wayne, and while he's a playboy and a bit of a bon-vivant, he's also one of the most honest men I know. He's the owner of a multi-billion dollar company, and not taking this damn crisis into account, there's not a single case of law-breaking, tax evasion or some other common problems you might find on such a large operation. Having this shit happening right under his nose was a very low blow, and the people were doing it only for the extra cash. Heck, Bruce told me if they'd asked, he'd have gladly paid fifteen percent more of their salaries so they could keep all of their and our noses clean. So, I believe when he saw the amount of damage they caused, he wanted someone whom he trusted in the first place, so he wouldn't be knifed in the back again and who could do the job. And I guess that person was me."

"Why's that? What do you have to offer to your co-workers, to the shareholders, aside from Mr. Wayne's apparently blind trust in you?"

"He's not trusting me blindly; he can't have that luxury, not anymore. We've created a system of checks and balances, with independent audits thrown in there for good measure, over all of WayneCorp, so a repeat won't happen. As for what I have to offer... my first job was as a carpenter's apprentice in a construction site back in Sunnydale, so you might say I've started real low on the stepladder, ten ended up Worldwide Facilities Manager for this English company I worked with, which sounds more like a super than anything, but I was the guy they sent to evaluate, buy and build or remodel their offices around the world. So I know something about managing people and a construction site, and I also know that there are hundreds of families of people who work directly or indirectly for the company that depend on me to not screw up so they might keep their jobs. Daunting task, but I'll do my impossible best."

-oOo-

And that was the headline of the interview printed the next day, 'Mr. Impossible?', with a picture of him standing close to the WC logo at the entrance hall. It was a decent piece, but the editors cut a lot of things off, since Xander really didn't expect a three hours long interview to be printed in its entirely. The tone ended up being one of guarded hope and caution, the business columnist added some of his own opinions, but more on the side of the mess the previous admin had done and some harsh criticism towards Bruce Wayne and his apparent disregard for his own company.

All in all, he and Bruce deemed it a good thing, and now he was engrossed over some paperwork – another reason why the promotion sucked - while waiting for the other reporter, Bruce's friend from Metropolis.

"Mr. Harris, I have the reporter here," Kay, his PA and also a Slayer due to some of Bruce's underhanded maneuvering, voiced over the intercom.

"Send him in, Kay, thanks," he said.

The door to his office opened and closed and Xander spoke without looking up. "Just a sec, I gotta finish this. Have a seat somewhere, I'll be right with you."

He finished reading the document down, added a comment to the end of it and put it in his out bin, and finally looked up, taking a good look at the reporter sitting at the other side of his desk. He tilted his head to a side then to the other.

"Mr. Harris, I'm..."

"Do you mind standing up for a sec?" Xander said, interrupting the reporter, who looked at him oddly but complied a few moments later.

Xander snorted, then giggled, then started to laugh outright, surprising the visitor.

"What did you find so funny, Mr. Harris?" the other asked, eyebrow raised.

Still giggling madly, Xander grabbed his cellphone and speed-dialed a number, which was secured, encrypted and answered a few seconds later. Without waiting for a reply, Xander spoke, still trying to control his laughter.

"Bruce, thank you, you just proved to me that you didn't trade your sense of humor for the cape," he said, finally taking a breath.

Silence. Ominous silence. "What the hell you're talking about, Harris?" Bruce growled close to his Batman voice a few seconds later.

"Ah, come on! Whose idea it was to dress Kal as a mild-mannered reporter from a great metropolitan newspaper and send him to talk to me? What, did you think the glasses would fool..." and he noticed the so-called reporter blanching. "...anyone... Oh, shit," Xander said, blanching as well.

Another moment of ominous silence on the other side of the phone call, followed by a sigh. "It did. Me. For a while. And the rest of the world, too, so far. Alexander Harris, meet Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter from the Daily Planet. Boyscout, meet once again for the first time, Alexander Harris, the One Who Sees. You just made me lose fifty dollars to Diana, Clark."

"I'm going to pay for the sense of humor comment, won't I?"

The connection ended suddenly, while Clark smiled briefly. Xander facepalmed.

* * *

"You still want to do the interview, Ka...Clark? What should I call you?" he asked, after calming down.

"Clark, please. Very few people know, and I want to keep it that way," Clark said, sitting down again. "And yes, I think I can keep my distance to do it, if you want to, that is."

"Sure, why not? Ask away."

* * *

The interview ended up in the same venue of Vicky's own, with some extra questions thrown in, all in all. When they finished, Xander stood up, going to grab another glass of water.

"Want something, Clark?" he asked.

"No, I'm good," he replied, while Xander drank.

"Mind if I ask a few questions of my own?"

Clark shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Why 'Clark Kent'? Why a reporter, of all things? I can understand the secret identity stuff, but those particulars are annoying me."

Clark smiled. "The part about me coming from Krypton is true, but what no one ever asked is when it happened and what happened in-between. My ship crash-landed here when I was a baby, near the Kent farm in Smallville, Kansas. The couple who lived there couldn't have kids, so they adopted me, so I'm really Clark Kent, son to Martha and Jonathan. My powers only started developing when I was a teenager, that's why no one noticed a thing, because by then, I had an idea on how to hide what I could do. As for being a reporter, it was something I actually did before I had any powers - I worked at my school's newspaper and liked it. And in the end, it proved useful; we usually have the scoop on disasters and other potential threats much faster than the authorities, and besides it gives me some good excuses to leave to 'pursue a lead'."

Xander nodded. "That's good to know, and it's been a pleasure talking to you as...well, you. It gives me a whole another insight into your other self."

That garnered another smile. "While I don't like revealing myself to people, it's good when someone I can trust knows it, it gives me someone else to talk to without having to hide anything..." Clark said, then turned serious and tilted his head.

"Trouble?" Xander asked, figuring he was listening to something happening in another part of the world.

"Yes, I've got to go," Clark said, standing up.

"Okay. Look, there's a party happening later tonight, a homecoming for Buffy. Wanna come?"

"I'll see what I can do," he said.

"Take the window, it'll be faster. I'll distract Kay," Xander said, and Clark blurred into red and blue, Superman smiled at him and vanished through the window in between the ticks of a second. "Awesome."

"Now, from the Xander Harris' Manual of How to Distract a Slayer, chapter 1. Ask her to pick some snacks and grab something for herself, too, on me."

* * *

"I met Clark today," Xander said, while fixing his tie.

It was originally going to be a small party for friends only, but Bruce intervened, mentioning they were going to be receiving a visit from a group of dignitaries from the recently recognized Amazon Nation, including their own Queen, so they reached a compromise, it'd be a bit more upper-level than they wanted, but at the same time it'd be a fun party, with music and dancing, not just a boring, stifling shindig. So Xander was wearing a suit and a tie, the latter he intended to lose as soon as possible, and Diana was wearing a brand new dress, a gift from her wonderful, recently-promoted husband. The thing had been expensive as hell, according to Xander, but he couldn't wait to see her in it.

"And how was it?" Diana asked, coming out of the bathroom.

"Bruce owes you fifty bucks, Di," he smiled and turned to her, his heart skipping a few beats.

Holy Goddess.

Diana's dress was a one-shoulder white dress, the silk-like material was woven with some really thin chromed threads and tiny little crystals, making the entire thing sparkle. Her silver sandals with a small heel gave her a bit more height but not enough to go over her husband's head. Her hair was done in an intricate bun with some wisps loose framing her gorgeous face, everything held in place by a silver tiara decorated in what Xander believed to be diamonds. Just enough make-up to accent her features, some jewelry, and the entire package made him weak-kneed.

She smiled at his reaction and about the news. "I knew you'd figure it out, love. Help me zip up?" she asked, turning her back to him.

Xander shook his head, trying to make his brain re-engage, a task even more daunting when he noticed the expanse of lightly tanned skin of Diana's entire back. It took almost all of his self-control to not take the dress off instead and damn the party, but in the end, he zipped her and she turned quickly, embracing him and noticing his dilated pupils and nostrils.

"Let's go get my new sister back to her family, my husband, then later we can make a party of our own, just the two of us," she whispered seductively on his ear, which caused blood flow problems and him to gurgle. She gave him a quick peck on his lips, smiled and let him go. It took him a few moments to react, and when he did, he went to one knee and grabbed her left hand, holding it delicately between his own.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you, Diana of Themyscira, but I thank the Gods every day for giving me this opportunity, and I thank you for loving me," he said, and kissed her ring.

She grabbed his elbows and lifted him up. "I could do no different after knowing you, Alexander Harris. And I thank the Gods daily myself for pointing me in your direction. Now, it's time to go. You ready?" she asked, and with his nod he took her arm and they walked out of their room.

"I just hope the girls brought the party favors with them," Xander said while they walked to the elevator.

"What party favors?" Diana asked, surprised.

"What do you think? It's Buffy's welcome home party, you're going to be there, Bruce's going to be there, your mom's going to be there, your sister, her escort, some thirty or so Slayers, a variety of Watchers, the Scoobies, I invited Clark too, if that doesn't spell 'doom', I don't know what does. Hence, party favors. And a hefty insurance package on the ballroom."

"You think I should go back up and change into my battle-armor?" Diana asked.

"Nah."

A beat.

"Well... maybe?"

Another.

"Yes."

Laughter.


	24. Chapter 24

Fates of Love

Author: BigHead /

Disclaimer: Everyone here belongs to someone else, except me. I belong to a boatload of taxes, hence no money being made

Summary: Fate has a wicked way of playing with the ones in their clutches.

Rating: Teen, for now.

Author's Notes: Thanks go to Greywizard and cmduhura, this time. And many thanks for all the reviews.

Feedback: YESSSS! PLEEEEAAAASEEE!

* * *

They were waiting for Willow to arrive so, with Dawn's help, they could open the portal to Themyscira and bring Buffy and Queen Hyppolita and her entourage directly to the ballroom and skip all the logistical troubles of bringing international dignitaries to US soil. Xander in the meantime was nursing a drink, looking around the ballroom and every face there, most of them happy and free, quite unlike his own.

"Something troubling you, my husband?" Diana asked, holding his arm in support. She could feel quite clearly through their bond that he felt a deep longing, holding his happiness at bay.

He turned to her and gave her a wan smile. "Kinda, sorta. It's... strange, our parties are usually to celebrate life and surviving another apocalypse, but they're usually also a wake, you know? I keep remembering everyone who died, and...", he shrugged.

She smiled back at him, in understanding. "I know how you feel, Xander, but remember, tonight is not one of those nights, it's time to welcome back one of our own. Come on, take me out to dance and let us scare those ghosts away for now."

"I'd like that," he said, and took her hand, dragging them both to the space reserved as a dance floor. The hired DJ was playing soft songs for the time being, and they were the only couple dancing. Around them, Xander could hear the sighs of Slayers and Watchers while they watched the couple losing themselves into one other's arms.

* * *

"Xan," a wistful voice penetrated his brain finally, making himself once again aware of the world outside Diana's arms.

"Uh? Hey, Dawn," he said with a sheepish smile, disengaging slightly from Diana. Times like these he thought that their bond rocked much, the feedback between them making him feel giddy as if on a drug-induced high. Dawn had a small smile on her face.

"Hello, little sister," Diana said as well.

"Hello, Di. Look, sorry to interrupt one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, but Willow's here," the younger brunette said.

"We were just dancing," Xander said, quite oblivious to what had happened on the dance floor.

Dawn's smile grew. "You don't have the slightest idea, do you? Anyway, Willow's here, and we want to get this party actually started, if you don't mind."

The one-eyed man looked around, noticing that the ballroom had a lot more people than when he started dancing, among them Bruce chatting with a slightly out-of-place Clark. "Bruce and Clark are here as well. When did they arrive?"

"About fifteen minutes ago," Dawn replied. "Since you were so involved, we introduced ourselves to them. He's quite the hottie, Xan," she said, trying to get a rise out of him.

"And my boss, Dawn. Plus, if Buffy learns you're putting the moves on him, I don't think he'll be a hottie for long, it's kinda hard to do with a broken jaw. Anyway, where's Willow?"

"Hyperventilating in the bathroom. Donna's in there trying to calm her down," Dawn smirked. "Apparently talking to mom is making her freak."

Diana's laughter echoed. "I'll go and try to calm her down. You, my dear, are going, how we say...mingle. Shall we?" she said, giving Xander a kiss.

* * *

Xander, Clark and Bruce were talking about magic and each other's experiences with the subject in question, while Willow, after calming down from her big bout of cold feet, was preparing the spell to open the gateway through Themyscirian wards without bringing them all down and incur the wrath of a god or two if things went south. She finally clapped her hands to call the attention of all the guests.

"All right, I'm done here, now I just need the final ingredient to open the portal and we can start this party. So, positions everyone," she said, nodding to Dawn who was standing to her side.

Everyone shuffled around, Xander excused himself from Clark and Bruce and walked to stand right next to Diana, at Willow's back. Standing right behind the redhead was Donna, wearing a dark blue silken long dress, which accentuated every curve she had. Xander hoped that Hyppolita would give the couple her blessing, otherwise Willow would be devastated, her last relationship ended up pretty badly and to this day he couldn't stand Kennedy's face. He believed Giles couldn't either, he had sent the girl up to Finland, the farthest outpost the Council had on the planet, with Buffy and Faith's blessing. Speaking of Giles, the man was standing to a side in his dapper suit, looking the typical modern British noble. Andrew was also around, and Xander believed someone had issued some threats if he started pestering Diana about the Justice League, because he was sitting at one of the tables, sulking. Even Clem had made a show of appearing, it had been a while since he'd seen the floppy-eared demon. The rest of the Slayers, Watchers and other guests stood at a loose semi-circle around the space Willow had prepped for the spell and portal.

Willow started chanting, her hair turned white and she levitated a few feet off the ground. From what Xander had learned, she could have powered the spell herself, but if she had done so, she'd be wiped after, and unable to enjoy the party and Buffy's return, so she asked Dawn for help. The brunette pricked her finger when Willow's chant reached a certain stanza, and a single drop of blood escaped, and instead of falling to the ground, it levitated mid-air, turning into a tiny glowing ball of green light. Finally the redhead clapped her hands, and it was as if a thunderclap echoed inside the ballroom. The ball of light exploded outside, growing into a flat green disk of energy that hung vertically to the floor, a couple feet in front of the guests.

The first people through were a pair of Amazon bodyguards in full armored regalia, lances at the ready. When they noticed both Princesses standing right in front of them, they relaxed slightly and stood to the side of the portal. Then Queen Hyppolita herself came through, and she smiled slightly after seeing both of her daughters. She stood tall and straight, and her voice echoed through the entire hall.

"Greetings, fellow Alexions. Tonight is a night of joy, a night of happiness, a night to celebrate, for tonight we are... I am... proud of bringing a very special person back to her family. When she departed your midst, she did so without any hope of success, based on a plan that could mean her death before she even started it. However, and this I learned myself, that is what makes this young woman so special, her utter commitment to a cause, without care or regard to her own health or sanity, only because it was the right thing to do. I've met a few gods in my life, and I believe that they never knew how truly special their Chosen One actually was. I'm proud of knowing her, I'm prouder still that in knowing her I gained a couple of other daughters, if not in blood but in heart, and I'm glad that in taking that chance, she made my people, now our people, be regarded by the rest of the world as one of their own. It is with great pleasure, and joy in my heart that I bring back to you Buffy Anne Summers, the Queen of the Alexions."

Buffy stepped out of the portal to a wall of cheers, her eyes tearing up over seeing all of her friends waiting for her. She was dressed similar to Hyppolita's own toga-like dress, but hers were in a deep green, while the other queen was using an off-white piece. Willow and Dawn were the first to move, grabbing her in a couple of bone-crunching hugs. Xander followed a moment behind, and waited while the girls traded a quick babble-fest that Wally would have trouble following. When he noticed her face and her actions, he moved to a side and stood in front of Queen Hyppolita. Solemnly, he closed his fist and crossed his arm over his chest, bowing respectfully.

"Queen Hyppolita, while the others are sure to give you their welcomes, I'd like to say that while our first meeting didn't have the outcome I so desired, we parted ways if not as friends at least as individuals that respected one another. But tonight I see my best friend in the entire world back with us, and while I didn't talk to her yet, I've seen something that I didn't believe I'd see ever again. I'm seeing my friend _happy_, truly happy. For that, you have my eternal gratitude, and whatever I have, whatever I can offer, now and in the future, is yours, just ask."

He didn't notice that the entire room had grown silent, and that most, if not all of them, had heard his declaration, neither did he see his wife give him one of her open smiles.

"Even if I asked you to leave my daughter?" Hyppolita asked.

Xander's heart constricted painfully. "I don't believe it would actually be possible, Your Highness. While I could physically leave her presence, my heart, my mind and my soul would always be with her, and I believe the same could be said of her."

Hyppolita looked him in the eye. "I've been following your relationship with my daughter closely, Alexander, my spies are very thorough in their reports, and I'm glad my fears haven't been validated, so far. So, do not worry, I won't ask you that, but your offer serves to prove that you're a man of deep character, and your friendship and steadfast support of my newest daughter paints you in an even more favored light. For all of that, I'm going to do one thing I'd never thought possible, and give you my blessing, as a mother, over your relationship with my daughter."

Xander's heart stopped for a moment, and during this moment, Diana moved past him and grabbed Hyppolita, twirling her as if a child, reversing their positions of mother and daughter. When his heart beat again, he noticed that his wife was crying herself, having her mother held in an almost bone-crunching hug. Not wanting to break the moment, he waited, and suddenly he felt a tap in his arm and turned around.

Standing there was Buffy herself, tears falling down her eyes as well, her smile brightening his soul. While his first thought was to grab her in a hug like old friends they were, he decided to acknowledge what had been clear for him for a long time. Once again he closed his fist and crossed his arm over his chest, bowing further than he had with Hyppolita.

"My Queen," he said, respectfully and without a hint of mischief.

Buffy noticed that he was quite serious, and decided to treat the action with all the respect it deserved. She crossed her own arm and bowed to him. "My Champion, my White Knight, my most steadfast friend. Thank you for believing in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. We've faced some rocky roads, and I don't think they've ended, but as long as I have you and the others by my side, I'll do my best to face them."

"Are you happy, my Queen?" he asked, almost knowing the answer himself.

"You said it yourself, Alexander. I am. For the first time in a very long time, I am. And I have you to thank for that, and to do that I must go back to what I've always been to you, your friend," saying that, Buffy simply forgot all about propriety and etiquette and jumped into her friend's arms, grabbing him in a Buffy-patented hug.

"Ribs, Buffy. Ribs..." he complained weakly, while tears fell from both their eyes.

The emotional moment was broken by the sound of breaking glass, coming from the ballroom's entrance. People turned around to see a man stumble into the room, grabbing his side.

"And I didn't even had the time to show off my new dress or dance a little," Buffy sighed. "Tell me you brought the party favors..."

"It's your welcome home party, of course I brought the party favors. What do you think I am, crazy?" he asked, while people moved to offer assistance to the party crasher.

Bruce was the closest one, so he grabbed the man and helped him to a chair.

"Thank you, Bruce," the man said, and Bruce Wayne finally recognized him.

"Jason?"

* * *

In the upper realms, one being watched the scene below with fingers crossed. She had been called friend by most of the people below, but that wasn't the reason why she was rooting for a specific outcome.

"Come on, you blonde cheerleader, revert to type. Come on..."

* * *

"Bruce?" Buffy asked. "You know Mr. Party Crasher?"

"Hello, Buffy, welcome back. And yes, me and Jason here are old...acquaintances, shall we say? Now, Jason, what the hell happened to you?" Bruce asked, but Jason looked straight at Buffy.

"Are you Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" Jason asked, and Buffy could see the man was in a lot of pain and breathing hard. She could also notice he was quite the hottie in an older-but-not-so-much guy kind of way.

"Guilty as charged. Mind telling me why you crashed my welcome home party? When it has just started, as well…"

"Dr. Blood?" Giles' voice echoed right behind Buffy, and she turned to see her Watcher already holding a short sword in hand.

"Does everyone know the party crasher but me?" Buffy asked.

"Sorry, Buffy, Dr. Blood is a well-known demonologist, and one of the most sought after in our circles. The Council has him on retainer, even before the previous administration was forcefully retired."

"Pretty nice way of saying they were bombed to hell and back," Buffy muttered. She turned back to the man currently trying to sit still and failing miserably, while Bruce tried to check his wounds. "So, Dr... Blood, is it? Strange name, but then again I can't really complain much... Now, once again, and hopefully for the last time so we can take your sorry ass to the hospital and deal with the crashing of my welcome home party? What the hell is going on?" she asked, the last through gritted teeth.

"I was attacked earlier this evening at my home. Somehow they managed to break through my protections, there were quite a few of them but I managed to defend myself and thwart their attempt. I interrogated one of the surviving demons and it said they were in the service of the Circle of Black Thorn, he didn't know why they were ordered to attack me, but that I wasn't the only one. I asked who were the others and he mentioned only you, Ms. Summers, by name," he said, groaning.

Buffy turned to her Watcher. "Isn't the Circle the one...?"

"The very same, Buffy, but our sources tell me that Angel struck quite a blow to their ranks. Whatever attempt they mounted against you must be an act of desperation, and Wolfram & Hart isn't known of acting desperately," Giles replied. "Are you positive the demon wasn't lying, Dr. Blood?"

"I can be very persuasive when I want to be, Mr...?"

"Giles. Rupert Giles, we've spoken on the phone a couple times," Giles said. "So, they got to have a reason to attack both you and Buffy. The question is, why?"

"We can ask the survivors later, after we've killed most of them, Giles. Plus, we gotta send the bill for the destruction of dresses, ruining of make-up and break-up of shoes to someone, and I think Wolfram & Hart are just perfect for the job," Buffy said with a sinister smile. "Now, Mr. Dr. Blood-dripping-on-the-carpet, I'll ask one of the Watchers to take you to a hospital, while we deal with the rest of the party crashers. Bruce, I think you might want to skedaddle too, and take your friend with you, please."

"That's a grand idea, Buffy. Want me to call the cops?" Bruce asked, inward thankful for the excuse he got to get away and change.

"Naw, they're not ready to deal with a horde of homicidal demons and whatnot. Better tell them to sit still while I, the girls and the tweed brigade deal with them. Besides, it's been a while since I had my fun, I'm kinda glad they offered the opportunity for me to bash some skulls," the small blonde said with a savage smile.

"I'll stay, too," Jason Blood said, trying to stand up.

"You can barely stand, doc. We'll take you to the hospital, and that's final," Buffy ordered.

"Mr. Giles," Jason said, turning to the British man and ignoring Buffy's demands. "I do believe the Council has a fairly large file on me too, correct?"

"...Yes, that is correct," Giles acquiesced.

"Is my other self in danger if I change?" Jason asked.

"Change? Change into what? Giles...?" Buffy asked, surprised, looking between the duo.

"Buffy here has a fairly consistent 'live and let live' policy regarding demons who don't want to cause harm. If you can vouch on his behavior and his willingness to help us, I don't think it'll be much of a problem."

"I can't vouch for anything regarding him, except that he has a fairly big sense of self-preservation, and he likes to fight, even if it is against his own brethren. So I believe your people are safe from him," Jason said.

"Him, who the hell is him? Giles? Dr. Blood?" Buffy asked.

"You'll learn in a bit, Buffy, but first I believe we need to take Mr. Wayne, his friend and Queen Hyppolita and her entourage out of harm's way," Giles said.

"I can do that," Xander replied, he had been listening in from the side. "KAY!" he yelled over the din. His PA and also one of the guests and a Slayer to boot came running towards them.

"Yes, boss?" she asked.

"Take Mr. Wayne and Mr. Kent out back, escort them to a safe place and come back here," Xander said, and with a nod Kay went to do as asked. "In the meantime I'll try to convince my mom-in-law to leave the battlefield," he said with a snort.

"Fat chance of that happening," Buffy said with a smirk.

"Don't I know it?" he said with a lot of sarcasm, already walking in the Amazons' direction.

Buffy turned to Giles with a smile. "Time to address the restless masses," she said, and climbed over a chair to be seen and heard over the ballroom. "Okay, peeps, listen UP! Seems tradition and Murphy still like the smell of yours truly parties', and this time it's not a zombie horde, which frankly would suck due to 'been there, done that'. No, this time is a horde of demons, commonly known as the Circle of the Gray Pricks..."

"Black Thorn, Buffy," Giles said sotto voice to a laughing audience.

"That's what I said, the Circle of the Gray Pricks. Anyway, they're coming here to once again try to end the life of yours truly, cause the Apocalypse, yadda yadda yadda. Since I've been dying, though not literally, to hit someone, or several someones for a while now, I decided to oblige them. Are you guys with me?"

A resounding chorus of "YES!" echoed over the hall. Buffy smiled, and continued, looking at Hyppolita. "Mom, I know Xander is trying to convince you to leave, and I'd fell better if you did."

"And leave my daughters to face the hordes of Tartarus on their own? I think NOT, young lady," she said with a smile. Xander shrugged at her side, as if saying 'I tried'.

"All right, then. My Champion, being the smart man and the man of vision that he is, brought the party favors as well, so I hope everyone got his own favorite flavor of steel and wood. How many squads we have, or how many can pass for squads, anyway?"

"Seven, maybe eight if we spread out a bit, my Queen," one of the Watchers replied from the back.

"Let's go with seven, I want three squads outside handling crowd control, we got innocent people roaming the streets, even at this time of the night. The rest, I want a lookout on the roof, take some ranged weapons with you, one squad inside the ballroom running rear guard, the other three with me over every entrance this building has. They want me, so I'm hoping they'll come in force here and leave the streets mostly alone. If I see that's the case I'll issue the order for two of the outside squads to come back and strike at them from behind. Having said that, pay attention to every tear or nip in your dresses or clothes, broken heels, broken nails, ruined make up, ruined 'dos and whatever other thing you guys and girls did to come to my party – which I appreciate mucho, thank you – 'cause when all of this is said and done, I intend to present the bill to Wolfram & Hart in person, and demand restitution to all damages. So, are you guys ready?"

Another wall of cheers greeted her speech.

"Ahem," Jason cleared his throat, calling Buffy's attention.

"Ah, yes, I forgot something. Apparently Mr. Party Crasher here can turn into something, I don't know what, and it can help us, so please no turn-him-into-a-pincushion, capisce?"

"I believe I should turn now, so you can know what to expect," he said, voice filled with dread.

"Be my guest, Mr. Hottie," Buffy said, getting down from the chair and cringed. "Did I say that out loud?"

Jason shook his head in mirth, and spoke.

_"Change! Change, O form of man!_

_Release the might from fleshy mire!_

_Boil the blood in heart of fire!_

_Gone! Gone! — the form of man —_

_Rise, the Demon Etrigan!_"

While Jason chanted, he began transforming, his skin turned yellow, his ears stretched and ended up looking like two bat wings glued to the side of his head, his body gained mass and muscles, his eyes turned blood red, horns sprouted from a bald forehead and his clothes changed to some sort of medieval getup in red, with a purple cape and shoes. Now, where Jason used to stand, stood a full blooded demon.

"What the hell?" Buffy asked, curious.

"I believe my eyes betray me, my jailor had gone mad and brought me to thee?" the demon echoed, looking over the hall at the armed women looking at him.

"And it _rhymed?"_

"It's a long story, Buffy, but Jason Blood was cursed by Merlin to be the jailor of Etrigan, a true demon from Hell, the son of Belial, if memory serves me right. And yes, he likes to speak in rhymes," Giles said.

"Is he trustworthy?" she asked, fingering the pendant that was the scythe in miniature.

"For now, or do you wish to declare foul?" Etrigan said, and Buffy shook her head.

"Look, Mr. Demon, I have a horde of people like you coming for my neck, and I'm not in the mood to decipher your rhyme. Can't you talk normal for a change?"

"For a fair lady such as thee, I shall do it with glee," Etrigan said with a leer.

"Did-did he just make a pass at me?"

* * *

At the upper realms, a certain Seer was cackling like mad.


End file.
